Tracheobronchomalacia incidentally detected on Tc-99m ventilation/perfusion SPECT.
A Tc-99m Technegas MAA-SPECT was performed on an 81-year-old woman to exclude pulmonary embolism. It showed hypoperfusion and practically absent ventilation of the entire left lung, suggesting a left-sided centrally localized airway obstruction or compression with secondary hypoxic vasoconstriction. Subsequent bronchoscopy and CT scan detected tracheobronchomalacia with significant narrowing of the left bronchus.Tracheobronchomalacia is a rare, benign condition, referring to the deficiency in cartilage of the tracheobronchial tree, caused by a variety of factors.
Deryk
Sylvia
S
Department Nuclear Medicine, Universitair Ziekenhuis Brussel, Brussels, Belgium. sylviaderyk@telenet.be
Nieboer
Koenraad
K
Ceulemans
Gaëtane
G
Bossuyt
Axel
A
Vanhove
Christian
C
Everaert
Hendrik
H
D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D033162:Incidental Findings; D012123:Pulmonary Ventilation; D013670:Sodium Pertechnetate Tc 99m; D015899:Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D055089:Tracheobronchomalacia / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology*
C056708:Technegas; D013670:Sodium Pertechnetate Tc 99m