2016 Volume 7 Issue 2 Pages 77-83
Background: Pulmonary perfusion scintigraphy is a useful method to assess improvements in airflow limitation. However, the number of institutions equipped with pulmonary perfusion scintigraphy equipment is limited. Computed tomography (CT) scans are quick to perform and can be performed in severe cases. Recently, it has been reported that the percentage of the cross-sectional area of pulmonary small vessels (%CSA<5) can be measured by analyzing CT images that correlate with the radionuclide uptake rate shown by pulmonary perfusion scintigraphy.
Methods: We retrospectively reviewed CT scans of 14 patients with unilateral bronchial obstruction due to malignant disease to measure the %CSA<5 before and after interventional bronchoscopy using the semi-automatic image-processing program (ImageJ). In 5 cases, we examined the correlation between the %CSA<5 and the radionuclide uptake rate visualized by pulmonary perfusion scintigraphy.
Results: The %CSA<5 in the obstructed side of the lung after treatment displayed significant improvements after intervention (p = 0.04). Among the 5 cases that underwent pulmonary perfusion scintigraphy before and after the treatment, the radionuclide uptake rate of the obstructed side improved in all patients, whereas the %CSA<5 improved in 4 of the 5 patients.
Conclusion: Measurement of the %CSA<5 might be useful to assess the outcome of interventional bronchoscopy.
