Recent Journal Articles and conference presentations have put forward a strong case for the use of Single Photon Emission Computerised Tomography (SPECT) for lung scanning. All Southern Nuclear Imaging sites now perform both SPECT and Planar (derived from the SPECT data) imaging routinely.
Samples of normal (performed at Canterbury Bankstown Nuclear Imaging) and abnormal (performed at Illawarra Nuclear Imaging) scans appear below.
Normal V/Q Lung scan.
Planar Coronal SPECT
Ventilation (Technegas).
Perfusion
Note normal matching ventilation and perfusion scans. Pulmonary embolism is excluded.
Abnormal V/Q Scan
Planar Coronal SPECT
Comparison Displays of Ventilation and Perfusion Images.
Ventilation Perf Ventilation Perf Coronal SPECT Comparison Display. Vent in top area
Note: The mismatch between the Ventilation and Perfusion images is diagnostic of multiple pulmonary emboli.
Observe the greater number and clarity of the perfusion defects evident in the SPECT Coronal slices when compared to the Planar images in the presence of normal ventilation images.