Pulmonary cineangiography in acute pulmonary embolism

The usefulness of selective pulmonary cineangiography as a supplement to conventional pulmonary angiography was evaluated in 36 patients. In 13 of the 14 patients whose conventional angiographic results were equivocal, pulmonary cineangiography of questionable areas permitted a definitive diagnosis to be made. In 21 of the 22 patients whose conventional angiographic studies were considered definitely positive or negative, the cineangiographic results were in complete agreement. Thus, the principal value of supplemental pulmonary cineangiography is in patients whose conventional angiograms yield equivocal results. Its usefulness in this situation derives from its ability to delineate the details of flow and motion within the pulmonary vasculature.