Axial and reformatted four-chamber right ventricle-to-left ventricle diameter ratios on pulmonary CT angiography as predictors of death after acute pulmonary embolism

Michael T. Lu, Shadpour Demehri, Tianxi Cai, Layla Parast, Andetta R. Hunsaker, Samuel Z. Goldhaber, Frank J. Rybicki

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

47 Scopus citations

Abstract

OBJECTIVE. The purpose of this article is to retrospectively compare right ventricular-to-left ventricular (RV/LV) diameter ratios measured on the standard axial view versus the reformatted four-chamber view as predictors of mortality after acute pulmonary embolism (PE). MATERIALS AND METHODS. Six hundred seventy-four consecutive patients (mean age, 58 years; 372 women) with a diagnosis of acute PE on pulmonary CT angiography were considered. The axial and reformatted four-chamber RV/LV diameter ratios were compared as predictors of 30-day all-cause and PE-related mortality. RESULTS. Ninety-seven patients (14%) died within 30 days; 39 deaths were PE related. There was no significant difference in the univariate hazard ratios (HRs) of axial and four-chamber RV/LV diameter ratios greater than 0.9 for both all-cause (HR, 2.13 [95% CI, 1.29-3.51] vs HR, 1.95 [95% CI, 1.22-3.14]; p = 0.74) and PE-related (HR, 19.6 [95% CI, 2.70-143] vs HR, 21.8 [95% CI, 2.99-158]; p = 1.0) mortality. Axial and four-chamber multivariate HRs accounting for potential confounders such as age and cancer were also similar for all-cause (HR, 1.79 [95% CI, 1.07-2.99] vs HR, 1.54 [95% CI, 0.95-2.49]; p = 0.62) and PE-related (HR, 16.3 [95% CI, 2.22-119] vs HR, 17.7 [95% CI, 2.43-130]; p = 1.0) mortality. There was no significant difference in sensitivity, specificity, negative predictive value, or positive predictive value. Axial and four-chamber measurements were well correlated (correlation coefficient, 0.857), and there was no significant difference in overall accuracy for predicting allcause (area under the curve [AUC], 0.582 vs 0.577; p = 0.72) and PE-related (AUC, 0.743 vs 0.744; p = 1.0) mortality. CONCLUSION. The axial RV/LV diameter ratio is no less accurate than the reformatted four-chamber RV/LV diameter ratio for predicting 30-day mortality after PE.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)1353-1360
Number of pages8
JournalAmerican Journal of Roentgenology
Volume198
Issue number6
DOIs
StatePublished - Jun 2012
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • CT
  • Multiplanar reformation
  • Pulmonary embolism

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Radiology Nuclear Medicine and imaging

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