title: Kr-81m ventilation imaging: clinical utility in suspected pulmonary embolism.
abstract: The results of Kr-81m/Tc-99m ventilation-perfusion (VP) lung scintigraphy were correlated with the results of pulmonary angiography for 74 patients suspected of having pulmonary embolism (PE). Among patients having a diagnostic scan, the sensitivity and specificity of scintigraphy were 91% and 94%, respectively. Also, 157 consecutive cases of Kr-81m/Tc-99m VP lung scintigraphy were reviewed, and the frequency of an indeterminate scan was found to be 22%. A similar frequency was found for VP scintigraphy with xenon-133. Of eight patients who had indeterminate scans due to the presence of a single VP mismatch, four were demonstrated to have PE by angiography. Kr-81m is an excellent agent for VP scanning in cases of suspected PE, offering accuracy in diagnosis as well as favorable physical properties.
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D007726:Krypton; D008168:Lung / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D011651:Pulmonary Artery / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D011655:Pulmonary Embolism / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology; D011859:Radiography; D011868:Radioisotopes; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D013667:Technetium; D014692:Ventilation-Perfusion Ratio; D014980:Xenon Radioisotopes
chemical_list: D011868:Radioisotopes; D014980:Xenon Radioisotopes; D007726:Krypton; D013667:Technetium