title: Unilateral absence of right-lung perfusion with normal ventilation on radionuclide lung scan as a sign of aortic dissection.
abstract: A case of aortic dissection with unilateral absence of right-lung perfusion and normal ventilation on radionuclide ventilation/perfusion (V/Q) lung scan is presented with a review of the literature. Anticoagulation or thrombolytic therapy for presumed pulmonary embolism may be catastrophic if the clinical syndrome and V/Q scan appearance are instead due to aortic dissection. With this V/Q scan appearance, these therapies should not be instituted unless pulmonary embolism is diagnosed by pulmonary arteriography.
authors.affiliation: Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Lahey Clinic Medical Center, Burlington, Massachusetts 01805.
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Slonim
authors.forename: C P
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Molgaard
authors.forename: I T
authors.initials: IT
authors.lastname: Khawaja
authors.forename: D W
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Seldin
mesh_terms: D000784:Aortic Dissection / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D001014:Aortic Aneurysm / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D001019:Aortic Rupture / Q000175:diagnosis; D003951:Diagnostic Errors; D006801:Humans; D008168:Lung / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011655:Pulmonary Embolism / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D014692:Ventilation-Perfusion Ratio