The use of pulmonary scintigraphy for endobronchial foreign bodies.
Pulmonary scintigraphy using 99mTc-MAA clearly demonstrated a perfusion defect in the entire left lung of an 11-month-old girl with endobronchial foreign body. Other initial examinations, including a chest roentgenogram, showed only minimal changes. Repeated pulmonary scintigraphy 24 hr after endoscopic removal of a peanut fragment from the left main stem bronchus demonstrated almost normal blood flow in the left lung. The well-known physiological explanation for diminished pulmonary blood flow due to endobronchial foreign bodies is as follows; alveolar hypoxia caused by hypoventilation due to bronchial check-valve obstruction leads to a pulmonary vasoconstriction with resultant diminution of the regional perfusion. Furthermore, the increase in alveolar pressure caused by bronchial check-valve obstruction may play a significant role in decreased pulmonary blood flow.
D010367:Arachis; D001980:Bronchi / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D001995:Bronchography; D005260:Female; D005547:Foreign Bodies / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008168:Lung / Q000098:blood supply / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D012039:Regional Blood Flow