Validity of pulmonary cine arteriography for the diagnosis of pulmonary embolism

The aim of this study was to assess the interobserver variations in diagnos is of pulmonary embolism (PE) with cine technique and to compare the diagno stic accuracy of pulmonary arteriograms to final-outcome diagnosis. One hun dred and seventy patients with clinical suspicion of acute PE were examined with ECG, laboratory tests, chest X-ray, pulmonary scintigraphy and select ive pulmonary cine arteriography. The follow-up time was 6 months. Fifty-on e arteriograms were: interpreted as positive for PE. Two pulmonary emboli w ere missed when compared with the diagnosis as stated by the final-outcome committee. No arteriograms Here considered as not of diagnostic quality. Me an interobserver agreement in lobar vessels was 100%, in segmental vessels 93% and in subsegmental vessels 63%. The mean interobserver agreement was 8 9%. Pulmonary cine arteriography produces high diagnostic accuracy and few inconclusive results in patients with suspected PE.