Background: Acute pulmonary embolism is a common disease with substantial morbidity and mortality in untreated patients. It requires an urgent positive diagnosis.
Aim: To assess the prevalence of acute pulmonary embolism and calculate the sensitivity and specificity of multidetector CT for the diagnosis of acute pulmonary embolism in a hospital specialized in cardio-thoracic diseases.
Methods: This is a prospective study conducted at Abderrahmen Mami Hospital, which included 200 consecutive patients suspected of acute pulmonary embolism and explored by a multidetector CT pulmonary angiography (16 slices).
Results: Prevalence of acute pulmonary embolism was calculated at 37.5%. The multidetector CT has enabled an alternative diagnosis in 46 patients (40%). The sensitivity and specificity of multidetector CT were calculated respectively 89.6% and 100%.
Conclusion: The prevalence of acute pulmonary embolism, in a hospital specialized in cardio-thoracic diseases, is higher than that found in general hospitals. High sensitivity and specificity of multidetector CT makes it the gold standard for the diagnosis of pulmonary embolism.