title: V/Q scanning using SPECT and SPECT/CT.
abstract: Planar ventilation-perfusion (V/Q) scanning is often used to investigate pulmonary embolism; however, it has well-recognized limitations. SPECT overcomes many of these through its ability to generate 3-dimensional imaging data. V/Q SPECT has higher sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy than planar imaging and a lower indeterminate rate. SPECT allows for new ways to display and analyze data, such as parametric V/Q ratio images. Compared with CT pulmonary angiography, SPECT has higher sensitivity, a lower radiation dose, fewer technically suboptimal studies, and no contrast-related complications. Any nuclear medicine department equipped with a modern hybrid scanner can now perform combined V/Q SPECT with CT (using low-dose protocols) to further enhance diagnostic accuracy. V/Q SPECT (with or without CT) has application in other pulmonary conditions and in research.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nuclear Medicine, Royal North Shore Hospital, and Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia. proach@nsccahs.health.nsw.gov.au
authors.forename: Paul J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Roach
authors.forename: Geoffrey P
authors.initials: GP
authors.lastname: Schembri
authors.forename: Dale L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Bailey
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D007089:Image Enhancement / Q000379:methods*; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional / Q000379:methods*; D008168:Lung / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D064847:Multimodal Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography; D011655:Pulmonary Embolism / Q000175:diagnosis*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D014692:Ventilation-Perfusion Ratio
keywords: SPECT; SPECT/CT; V/Q scintigraphy; pulmonary embolism