A technique for lung ventilation-perfusion SPECT in neonates and infants.
BACKGROUND
Single photon emission tomography (SPECT) of the lung is a well-established non-invasive technique for quantitative assessment of regional lung ventilation and perfusion distribution in children and in adults. However, its application in neonates as well as infants has been scarce because of several practical limitations, such as the trade off between image quality and restricted effective radiation doses and the lack of suitable inhalations agents and administration techniques.


METHODS
In this paper, a new technique for quantitative regional lung SPECT based on a passive Technegas administration procedure is described and clinically applied. The first clinical findings in neonates are reported.


RESULTS
This technique overcomes some of the limitations of commercial ventilation systems by making patient compliance unnecessary, avoiding difficult breathing manoeuvres and by minimizing both facemask dead space and inspiratory-expiratory resistance.


CONCLUSIONS
This technique satisfies requirements for routine applications in neonates, infants and even older patients and has a potential use also for mechanically ventilated patients. It has the potential to allow a more precise functionally oriented diagnosis, which is of importance for treatment and follow-up in patients with severe lung diseases.
Sánchez-Crespo
Alejandro
A
Department of Nuclear Medicine, Karolinska University Hospital, Solna, Sweden. alejandro.sanchez-crespo@karolinska.se
Rohdin
Malin
M
Carlsson
Charlotta
C
Bergström
Sten Erik
SE
Larsson
Stig A
SA
Jacobsson
Hans
H
Lindahl
Sten
S
Jonsson
Baldvin
B
D004867:Equipment Design; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008168:Lung / Q000473:pathology*; D010477:Perfusion; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012119:Respiration; D015656:Respiratory Mechanics; D013670:Sodium Pertechnetate Tc 99m; D013382:Subtraction Technique; D013997:Time Factors; D015899:Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon / Q000379:methods*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods
C056708:Technegas; D013670:Sodium Pertechnetate Tc 99m