Abstract
Aim: To estimate lung perfusion in patients with chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) and idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension (IPAH) by perfusion scintigraphy with technetium-99mm macroaggregated albumin.
Methods: The study included 54 pts with pulmonary arterial hypertension: 21pts (12 f/9m) with CTEPH and 33 pts with IPAH. Patients were comparable on age (45,7±12,5/37,5±10,5), WHO FC, systolic pulmonary artery pressure and distance in the 6 minute walking test. A 111-MBq dose of 99mTc-labeled macroaggregated albumin (99mTc-MAA) was injected into an cubital vein with the patient in a horizontal position. Just after, lung scanning was performed using a gamma-camera system Philips SKY LIGHT. Calculated including 99mTc-MAA in the upper, mean, lower zones of each lung and relation of the upper share to the lower was considered (U/L).
Results:
Conclusions: Decrease of perfusion in the upper zone and decrease of U/L was revealed only in patients with IPAH. On the contrary CTEPH was characterized by increased in U/L. This finding may be helpful for differential diagnostics of pulmonary hypertension.
- © 2012 ERS
