CT Evaluation of Patients with Hemoptysis and Normal Chest Radiograph

Background and objectives: to study the diagnostic accuracy of Computed Tomography in evaluation of various etiologies of hemoptysis with normal chest radiographs. Methods: Two hundred patients with hemoptysis and normal chest radiograph were evaluated with computed tomography from the period of December 2008 to October 2009. The patients were categorized according to the primary etiology and severity of hemoptysis. Results: of the 200 patients with hemoptysis included in this study, 121 males and79 females. Majority of patients had mild hemoptysis and pulmonary tuberculosis was the leading cause of hemoptysis( 73.3% .). CT showed diagnostic accuracy of 75%. Conclusion: computed chest tomography plays an important role in assessing patients with hemoptysis.