Skip to main content
U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Measurement of regional pulmonary blood volume in patients with increased pulmonary blood flow or pulmonary arterial hypertension

Conference · · J. Nucl. Med.; (United States)
OSTI ID:6930173

The effects of chronic increase in pulmonary blood flow and chronic pulmonary hypertension on regional pulmonary blood volume was measured in two groups of patients. One group of patients had intracardiac, left-to-right shunts without appreciable pulmonary hypertension, and the other consisted of patients with Eisenmenger's syndrome or primary pulmonary hypertension, i.e. patients with normal or reduced blood flow and severe pulmonary hypertension. A technique based on positron tomography was used to measure lung density (by transmission scanning) and regional pulmonary blood volume (after inhalation of /sup 11/CO). The distribution of pulmonary blood volume was more uniform in patients with chronic increase in pulmonary blood flow than in normal subjects. There were also indications of an absolute increase in intrapulmonary blood volume by about 15%. In patients with chronic pulmonary arterial hypertension, the distribution of pulmonary blood volume was also abnormally uniform. There was, however, no indication that overall intrapulmonary blood volume was substantially different from normal subjects. The abnormally uniform distribution of pulmonary blood volume can be explained by recruitment and/or dilatation of vascular beds. Intrapulmonary blood volume appears to be increased in patients with intracardiac, left-to-right shunts. With the development of pulmonary hypertension, intrapulmonary blood volume falls, which may be explained by reactive changes in the vasculature and/or obliteration of capillaries.

Research Organization:
MRC Cyclotron Unit, Hammersmith Hospital, London
OSTI ID:
6930173
Report Number(s):
CONF-840619-
Journal Information:
J. Nucl. Med.; (United States), Journal Name: J. Nucl. Med.; (United States) Vol. 25:5; ISSN JNMEA
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

Similar Records

Pulmonary blood flow distribution in transposition of the great arteries
Journal Article · Thu Jul 01 00:00:00 EDT 1976 · Am. J. Cardiol.; (United States) · OSTI ID:7216564

/sup 201/Tl myocardial imaging in patients with pulmonary hypertension
Journal Article · Sun Oct 31 23:00:00 EST 1976 · Circulation; (United States) · OSTI ID:7226301

Assessment of the intrapulmonary ventilation-perfusion distribution after the Fontan procedure for complex cardiac anomalies: Relation to pulmonary hemodynamics
Journal Article · Wed Mar 14 23:00:00 EST 1990 · Journal of the American College of Cardiology; (USA) · OSTI ID:6921034