The value of pulmonary ventilation-perfusion imaging in the diagnosis of pulmonary embolism

Objective:To assess the value of ventilation-perfusion imaging in the diagnosis of pulmonary embolism(PE).Method:Forty consecutive patients with clinically suspected pulmonary embolism were studied,mean age was(38.2±13.9)years.All patients underwent radionuclide ventilation-perfusion imaging and pulmonary angiography.Result:Of the 40 patients,31 with lobe,multiple segment or miltisubsegment perfusion defects and normal or nearly normal ventilation images were reported as PE.30 of them were confirmed to be with PE by pulmonary angiography,1 patients were not confirmed.9 of 40 patients with multiple perfusion defects,ventilative abnormalities were reported as non-PE and the diagnoses were confirmed by pulmonary angiography.The sensitivity,specificity and accuracy of diagnosis of PE by ventilation perfusion imaging was 100%,90.0% and 97.5% respectively.Conclusion:The results suggest that pulmonary embolism can be diagnosed non-invasively in most patients on the basis of clinical manifestation, chest radiograms and ventilation-perfusion imaging findings.Pulmonary angiography is required while clinical manifestation and ventilation perfusion imaging findings are discordant with each other.