Issn Print: 0143-3636
Publication Date: 2000/05/01
30. Ventilation-perfusion lung scanning - a quick, accurate, non-invasive, cost-effective method for imaging pulmonary arterial hypoplasia
Excerpt
Pulmonary hypoplasia represents an incomplete development of the lung, resulting in the reduction of distended lung volume. This is associated with small or absent number of airway divisions, alveoli, ateries and veins. Unilateral pulmonary Hypoplasia is often asymptomatic and may be demonstrated as a hypodense lung on a chest X-ray. Computer Tomography (CT) scanning would show anatomical detail and proximal vessels. Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) will show no more detail than which the CT scan has already demonstrated. It is, also, difficult to visualise collateral vessels from systemic and/or bronchial vessels on both these modalities. Pulmonary Angiography would give the definitive answer, but it is time consuming and has significant risks associated with the procedure. There are high costs associated with these modalities. Nuclear Medicine ventilation-perfusion (V/Q) scan performed on these patients would demonstrate diminished ventilation due to reduced lung volume and absence of perfusion to the hypoplatsic lung. To date, we have performed V/Q lung scan on 2 children in our department. Both cases demonstrate diminished ventilation with no perfusion to the hypoplastic lung. Though the gold standard is Pulmonary Angiography, V/Q scanning is cost effective, less time consuming and a non invasive procedure that can be performed as an outpatient. It is accurate as it demonstrates absent lung perfusion, confirming the patient has pulmonary arterial hypoplasia.
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