Abstract
Background and Aim: Developments in computed tomography pulmonary angiography (CTPA) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) have decreased the number of pulmonary scintigraphy procedures. Our objective was to evaluate the current status of respiratory nuclear medicine (NM) in Asian countries.
Methods: A questionnaire survey was conducted on eleven Asian graduate students studying NM in Japan and thirteen Japanese NM specialists. Ten questions were asked on a printed questionnaire.
Results: Japanese NM specialists preferred a combination of CTPA and ventilation-perfusion scintigraphy (V/P scan), while Asian graduate students chose CTPA only. However, few Japanese NM specialists and Asian graduate students responded that V/P scan was routinely performed. Kr-81m was used for V/P scans by ten Japanese NM specialists, meanwhile, Tc-99m-diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (DTPA) was used in seven Asian graduate students' countries. All Japanese NM specialists performed V/P scans on pediatric patients, but only one Asian graduate student did pediatric V/P scans.
Conclusions: Few Asian countries performed V/P scans routinely, even though they believed that it was useful in patients suspected of pulmonary embolism (PE). The unavailability, high cost, and lack of knowledge of clinicians might be limiting the popularity of V/P scans.
