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Matched ventilation-perfusion defect from a pleural effusion - Prone positioning reveals normal perfusion
Journal article   Peer reviewed

Matched ventilation-perfusion defect from a pleural effusion - Prone positioning reveals normal perfusion

Mark Tulchinsky and Lucas M. DeJohn
Clinical nuclear medicine, v 33(6), pp 407-410
01 Jun 2008
PMID: 18496448

Abstract

Life Sciences & Biomedicine Radiology, Nuclear Medicine & Medical Imaging Science & Technology
Pleural effusions in patients suspected of pulmonary thromboembolism can result in abnormalities on ventilation-perfusion scintigraphy. Often the cause of ventilation-perfusion scintigraphy abnormality is attenuation of lung activity by the effusion, which causes matched defects. Imaging in the prone position can move a free-flowing effusion, exposing true underlying perfusion. This useful maneuver has been reported previously to convert "indeterminate probability" to "low probability" scan. This report offers a more detailed description of the prone maneuver in a case where repositioning revealed underlying normal perfusion in an area with a previous matched defect-improving clinical usefulness of the scan.

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Web of Science research areas
Radiology, Nuclear Medicine & Medical Imaging
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