Assessment of regional lung ventilation by electrical impedance tomography in a patient with unilateral bronchial stenosis and a history of tuberculosis.
Bronchial stenosis can impair regional lung ventilation by causing abnormal, asymmetric airflow limitation. Electrical impedance tomography (EIT) is an imaging technique that allows the assessment of regional lung ventilation and therefore complements the functional assessment of the lungs. We report the case of a patient with left unilateral bronchial stenosis and a history of tuberculosis, in whom regional lung ventilation was assessed by EIT. The EIT results were compared with those obtained by ventilation/perfusion radionuclide imaging. The patient was using nasal continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) for the treatment of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome. Therefore, we studied the effects of postural changes and of the use of nasal CPAP. The EIT revealed heterogeneous distribution of regional lung ventilation, the ventilation being higher in the right lung, and this distribution was influenced by postural changes and CPAP use. The EIT assessment of regional lung ventilation produced results similar to those obtained with the radionuclide imaging technique and had the advantage of providing a dynamic evaluation without radiation exposure.
Federal University of Ceará, Fortaleza, Brazil.
Liégina Silveira
LS
Marinho
Federal University of Ceará, Fortaleza, Brazil.
Nathalia Parente de
NP
Sousa
Federal University of Ceará, Fortaleza, Brazil.
Carlos Augusto Barbosa da Silveira
CA
Barros
Federal University of Ceará, Fortaleza, Brazil.
Marcelo Silveira
MS
Matias
Federal University of Ceará, Fortaleza, Brazil.
Luana Torres
LT
Monteiro
University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
Marcelo do Amaral
Mdo A
Beraldo
University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
Eduardo Leite Vieira
EL
Costa
University of São Paulo, School of Medicine, Hospital das Clínicas, São Paulo, Brazil.
Marcelo Britto Passos
MB
Amato
Federal University of Ceará, Department of Clinical Medicine, Fortaleza, Brazil.
Marcelo Alcantara
MA
Holanda
D001982:Bronchial Diseases / Q000503:physiopathology*; D003251:Constriction, Pathologic / Q000503:physiopathology; D045422:Continuous Positive Airway Pressure; D017097:Electric Impedance; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D061330:Multidetector Computed Tomography / Q000379:methods; D012123:Pulmonary Ventilation; D020181:Sleep Apnea, Obstructive / Q000503:physiopathology; D014397:Tuberculosis, Pulmonary / Q000503:physiopathology*