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Updated: Jun 24, 2025
Identifying Coronary Artery Calcification on Non-gated Computed Tomography Scans
Published on: August 28, 2018
The Harms of Unnecessary CT Pulmonary Angiography: A Case Report and Literature Review
Zakaria Alagha1, Ean Bills1, Maha Alastal1
1Marshall University, Huntington, WV, USA.
Abstract:
Pulmonary embolism (PE) poses a significant health risk in the United States, with high mortality rates. Clinicians maintain a low threshold for suspecting PE, potentially leading to deviation from guideline-recommended algorithms and unnecessary computed tomography pulmonary angiography (CTPA). This case discusses a 46-year-old woman who presented with symptoms suggestive of PE following a prolonged road trip. Despite a low Wells score and negative D-dimer results, she underwent CTPA, resulting in an unnecessary and harmful interventional radiology-guided thrombectomy. This highlights the importance of adhering to guidelines in PE diagnosis to mitigate potential harms associated with the overuse of available medical tools.
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