Clinical experience with technetium-99m DTPA aerosol with perfusion scintigraphy in suspected pulmonary embolism

Journal Article · Thu Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1987 · Clin. Nucl. Med.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1097/00003072-198701000-00001· OSTI ID:6595472

Selby, J B; Gardner, J J

To evaluate the clinical value of radioaerosol imaging, 156 patients with suspected pulmonary embolism (PE) were studied. In 25 patients, a preperfusion xenon-133 (Xe-133) study was compared with a postperfusion study using Tc-99m DTPA aerosol. It was found that they were of equal value most of the time (56%), but that the aerosol study was more often helpful. Because of this, and the technical ease of using six standard views with radioaerosol, the series was completed using perfusion scintigraphy followed by radioaerosol images. In 19 patients the perfusion scintigraphy with Tc-99 macroaggregated albumin (Tc-99m MAA) was normal or nearly normal and no aerosol study was required. Tc-99m DTPA aerosol images were satisfactory when the count rate was at least twice and preferably three times that of the previous perfusion study. There were 17 studies (11%) classified as intermediate. There were 26 patients classified as high probability for PE, and angiographic or autopsy correlation was available in 14. All of the 14 proved to have PE. In the 113 patients classified as low probability, there were ten with angiographic or autopsy correlation. In the ten, there was one patient with a small pulmonary embolus found at autopsy. Clinical follow-up for over two months confirmed the absence of PE in the remainder of this group. Aerosol studies have proven technically easier to perform and a satisfactory substitute for xenon imaging in suspected PE.

• Research Organization: Veterans Administration Medical Center, Charleston, SC
• OSTI ID: 6595472
• Journal Information: Clin. Nucl. Med.; (United States), Journal Name: Clin. Nucl. Med.; (United States) Vol. 1; ISSN CNMED
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

550601* -- Medicine-- Unsealed Radionuclides in Diagnostics
62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE
AEROSOLS
ALBUMINS
AMINO ACIDS
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BODY
CARBOXYLIC ACIDS
CHELATING AGENTS
COLLOIDS
COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS
COUNTING TECHNIQUES
DAYS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
DIAGNOSIS
DIAGNOSTIC TECHNIQUES
DISEASES
DISPERSIONS
DRUGS
DTPA
EVEN-ODD NUCLEI
HOURS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
INTERMEDIATE MASS NUCLEI
INTERNAL CONVERSION RADIOISOTOPES
ISOMERIC NUCLEI
ISOMERIC TRANSITION ISOTOPES
ISOTOPES
LUNGS
NUCLEI
ODD-EVEN NUCLEI
ORGANIC ACIDS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANS
PATIENTS
PERFUSED ORGANS
PROTEINS
RADIOACTIVE AEROSOLS
RADIOISOTOPE SCANNING
RADIOISOTOPES
RADIOPROTECTIVE SUBSTANCES
RESPIRATORY SYSTEM
RESPIRATORY SYSTEM DISEASES
SCINTISCANNING
SOLS
TECHNETIUM 99
TECHNETIUM ISOTOPES
XENON 133
XENON ISOTOPES
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES