Panvenography and pulmonary angiography in the diagnosis of deep venous thrombosis and pulmonary thromboembolism.

In summary, high-quality pulmonary angiography remains the most accurate and reliable means of diagnosing pulmonary embolism. It can be performed with relative safety, and the inherent mortality risks with pulmonary angiography (in the range of 0.2 to 0.5 per cent in active angiography laboratories) must be weighed against the significant risks incurred with inaccurate diagnosis obtained without pulmonary arteriography. Pulmonary arteriography and transvenous catheter embolectomy can be of great benefit in sudden cardiovascular collapse due to massive pulmonary embolism. Transvenous catheter embolectomy has survival rates at least as good as those of open embolectomy, and it has the advantage that it can be performed in any hospital with angiographic facilities and trained personnel, thus allowing more expeditious management of massive pulmonary embolism in hospitals that do not have cardiopulmonary bypass capabilities.