Quantitative Lung Perfusion Scan
As the name suggests, this is a procedure intended to measure functional blood flow - in this case, that of the lungs. More specifically, it is a non-invasive (non-surgical) method of measuring the volume of lung receiving blood flow from the pulmonary arteries and providing a picture of how air is distributed.
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This procedure is performed by nuclear medicine technicians, and therefore involves the use of radioactive drugs (technically known as radiopharmaceuticals). However, the levels of
radiation are too low to be dangerous.
A lung perfusion scan is performed by injecting a patient's arm with a radioactive tracer. This consists of a special protein that contains a radioactive isotope.
Once this is done, the patient is positioned under a camera that is specifically designed to detect low levels of radiation. This camera takes images of the patient's chest and projects them on to an oscilloscope, a type of electronic screen that displays this information in the form of luminescent lines against a black background.
If all is well, the scan will show an even distribution of radioactive material throughout both lungs. Areas of the lungs in which the radioactive material does not appear can indicate any number of conditions. Normally, it indicates a pulmonary embolism - a blocked artery or blood clot in the lung. However, it can also indicate the presence of a tumor or another type of lung disease such as emphysema or even pneumonia.
The perfusion scan is usually performed at the same time as a ventilation scan, in which a mask is placed over the patient's face as s/he breathes a mixture of ordinary air and a mildly radioactive gas. The pictures produced from this procedure show which areas of the lungs may be receiving insufficient air during normal respiration.