Don’t Forget Ventilation-Perfusion Scintigraphy

Ventilation/perfusion lung scintigraphy. Multiple applications besides pulmonary embolism.

Ventilation/perfusion scintigraphy is the diagnostic tool of choice for detection and monitoring of pulmonary embolism. However, the knowledge on its value for other or concurrent pathologies is poor. In this review scintigraphic characteristics of the main pathologies, interpretation and artefacts are described. Together with the understanding of pathophysiology of the lung, the potential gain...

Tomographic ventilation-perfusion lung scintigraphy in cardiopulmonary disease

Recognition of dose infiltration on pulmonary ventilation-perfusion scintigraphy

Pulmonary scintigraphy has a well-established role in the diagnosis of pulmonary embolism (PE). The diagnostic specificity is increased if the perfusion study is combined with assessment of regional ventilation. VQ scans interpreted as either normal, near-normal, or high probability are reasonably diagnostic. Misinterpretation of the VQ scan can result in failure of this simple and noninvasive ...

Spurious lung perfusion ventilation defect on planar ventilation-perfusion scan detected by SPECT imaging

Pulmonary embolism (PE) is a preventable cause of morbidity and mortality which needs prompt recognition. Ventilation-perfusion (V/Q) scan is a well-established diagnostic test for evaluation of suspected PE. We report a 32-year-old woman with history of rheumatologic disease and acute dyspnea, who was referred for V/Q scintigraphy. The planar images revealed multiple mismatched defects through...

Continuing Education Ventilation Scintigraphy

Ventilation scintigraphy is a well-established adjunct to perfusion lung imaging in the diagnosis of pulmonary thromboembolus (PE). Although PE may be diagnosed with a standard chest radiograph and perfusion scintigraphy, the findings may be largely nonspecific due to the many types oflung pathology that result in perfusion defects. The specificity of the perfusion (Q) study may be substantiall...