A computed tomographic study of experimental pulmonary infarction in rabbit

To evaluate the computed tomographic findings of pulmonary infarction, an experimental study was carried out using a total of 39 rabbits. Pulmonary embolization was performed with silk suture material and polyvinyl alcohol by transfemoral catheterization. Sequential plain chest radiography and computed tomography were performed during 5 week period after embolization. The rabbits were sacrificed and soft tissue radiography, computed tomography and pathological examination of lung specimen fixed by inflation fixation technique were made. The results were as follows; 1. Computed tomography was more sensitive than plain chest radiography in detecting pulmonary infarction. 2. Characteristic CT finding was pleural based wedge shaped lesion which was noted in 57.1%, and the lesion without broad pleural base was noted in 7.1%. 3. The parenchymal lung lesion noted in CT was decreased in extent in 70.8% with complete resolution in only one case, and increased in extent in 29.2% with one total collapse of left lung. 4. Parenchymal lung lesion was detected in CT immediately after embolization (60%) and the incidence increased until 5 days (82.1%) and then decreased gradually. 5. Hounsfield number did not provide additional significant information in diagnosis of pulmonary infarction. 6. Computed tomography proves to be an useful modality in the diagnosis of pulmonary infarction with sensitivity of 88%, specificity of 80%, and diagnostic accuracy of 86.7%