The results indicate that patients with suspected pulmonary embolism and a normal perfusion lung scan have an excellent prognosis without anticoagulant therapy. Symptomatic venous thromboembolism was rare on follow-up in our patients with normal perfusion scans (0.6 percent [three of 515 patients]). Further, two of the three patients with venous thromboembo­lism on follow-up had predisposing [...]

Patients The 515 consecutive patients with clinically sus­pected pulmonary embolism and normal perfusion scans ranged in age from 14 to 93 years (mean, 45 years); 154 (30 percent) were men and 361 (70 percent) were women. Their clinical characteristics are shown in Table 1. Of the 515 patients, 361 patients (70 percent) were outpatients at [...]

Rtiients Between 1981 and 1988,1,420 consecutive patients with clinically suspected pulmonary embolism were referred to the Thromboem­bolism Service at Chedoke-McMaster Hospitals and were studied prospectively. The 515 (36 percent) of these patients who had normal perfusion lung scans are the subject of this report. The findings in the patients with abnormal perfusion scans have been [...]

The perfusion lung scan is a pivotal test in the diagnosis of pulmonary embolism. In this test, which reflects the relative distribution of pulmonary blood flow, intravenously injected particles of radio­active macroaggregated albumin lodge in the pulmo­nary microcirculation. The distribution of these par­ticles is measured by scanning the chest with a gamma camera in several [...]

Until now, more than 20 reports involving PXE have been published in Korea, most of which present cases with typical clinical symptoms, asso¬ciated systemic abnormalities, or perforating PXE. Unlike previous reports, our patient complained of severe pruritus on a normal appearing chin without other systemic problems or a family history. Recently, Lebwohl et al reported [...]

PXE is a rare, genetic disorder primarily affecting the skin, eyes, and cardiovascular system. The inheritance is usually autosomal recessive, but may be autosomal dominant or sporadic. Cutaneous lesions usually occur in the second or third decade of life. However, the presence of cutaneous lesions is usually not noted until adolescence or even later adulthood [...]

A 60-year-old female presented with a 10-year history of pruritus on the chin. She did not have a family history of PXE. Her past medical history was unremarkable. The physical examination re­vealed no skin lesions, but she complained of a severe itching sensation on the chin of more than 10 years duration (Fig. 1). A [...]