Diagnostic accuracy of echocardiography-Doppler in acute pulmonary embolism

We studied prospective recording of clinical, electrocardiographic, Doppler and echographic parameters in 32 patients with proven pulmonary embolism, matched with 32 patients with clinically suspected pulmonary embolism and normal perfusion scan or angiography. Thirty-seven per cent of cases and 16% of control subjects had clinical signs of right ventricular overload; S1-Q3-T3 ECG pattern was found in 11 cases and one control. Other clinical and ECG parameters did not reach significant difference. Echographic septum motion was abnormal in 42% of cases and 9% of controls (P < 0.05), end-diastolic right ventricular diameter was > 25 mm in 67% of cases and 11% of controls, ratio of end-diastolic right over left ventricular diameters increased over 0.6 in 67% of cases and 11% of controls, while Doppler examination found tricuspid regurgitant peak flow velocity > 2.5 m/s in 84% of cases vs. 10% of controls. According to these parameters, Doppler-echocardiography was normal in 6% of cases and 87% of control subjects (P < 0.001 for each). In suspected pulmonary embolism, our study shows that Doppler-echocardiography may be both sensitive and specific in emergency conditions and help the decision making for further invasive investigations.