[Ventilation perfusion scintigraphy in the management of pulmonary thromboembolism].
BACKGROUND
The Progressive Investigation of Pulmonary Embolism Diagnosis (PIOPED) classifies the results of ventilation perfusion scintigraphy as having a high, intermediate and low diagnostic probability of pulmonary embolism or as normal. This classification can be confusing for the clinician.


OBJECTIVE
To retrospectively review the diagnoses of ventilation perfusion scintigraphies performed at a general hospital.


METHODS
All reports of ventilation perfusion scintigraphies done between 1997 and 2000 at the Nuclear Medicine Service of Valdivia Hospital were retrospectively reviewed.


RESULTS
During the study period, 85 patients with suspected pulmonary thromboembolism were referred for a ventilation perfusion scintigraphy and in 70, the procedure was done. Twenty-one (30%) patients were classified as having a high probability of pulmonary thromboembolism, 12 (17%) as having an intermediate probability, 31 (44%) as having a low probability and the scintigraphy was considered normal in 6 (9%) patients.


CONCLUSIONS
The predictive value of ventilation perfusion scintigraphy must be interpreted using this diagnostic classification.
Armijo
S
S
Unidad de Medicina Nuclear, Hospital Base Valdivia, Chile. solarmijo@yahoo.com
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011655:Pulmonary Embolism / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014692:Ventilation-Perfusion Ratio / Q000502:physiology