Xenon-133 Pulmonary Ventilation Scintigraphy and Computed Tomography of the Chest in a Patient with Bronchopleural Air Leak after Right Pneumonectomy

Received 6/6/2004; revised 7/12/2004; accepted 7/16/2004. For correspondence and reprints contact: Shiou-Chi Cherng, M.D., Department of Nuclear Medicine, Tri-Service General Hospital, 325 Section 2, Cheng-Kung Road, Neihu, Taipei 114, Taiwan. Tel: (886)2-87927374, Fax: (886)2-87927217, E-mail: [email protected] A patient with non-small cell carcinoma of the lung underwent twice-right lobectomies to pneumonectomy within a three-year period. Five weeks after the second lobectomy, the patient developed a bronchopleural air leak as evidenced by subcutaneous emphysema of the right chest wall clinically and chest of radiograph and computed tomography (CT) of the chest. CT of the chest also showed air-fluid levels in the right thorax. The air leak was demonstrated as absence of Xe ventilation of the right lung with a gradually building up and dissipating curvilinear radioxenon activity in the upper mediastinum consistent with air leak. Thus, air leak, one of complications after pulmonary resection, can be collaborated with radiographic findings and confirmed by Xe ventilation scintigraphy.