ABSTRACT
Compared with ventilation–perfusion scans, contrast-enhanced CT has a high sensitivity and specificity for the diagnosis of pulmonary embolism. The advantages of CT are the speed and the wide availability in emergency departments. The CT scan allows direct visualization of the thrombus, and simultaneous assessment of the lung parenchyma and size of the cardiac chambers. In congenital heart disease, pulmonary vein anatomy is relevant in the assessment of abnormal venous return. Imaging of the pulmonary veins before the procedure for 3-D guidance and more frequently after the procedure for diagnosis and surveillance of pulmonary vein stenosis is commonly performed. CT allows to differentiate thrombus left atrial appendage thrombus from slow flow.
