Pulmonary blood flow distribution measured by radionuclide-computed tomography

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Abstract
Distributions of pulmonary blood flow/U lung volume were measured with subjects in the prone, supine and sitting positions by means of radionuclide-computed tomography of i.v. administered 99mTc-labeled macroaggregates of human serum albumin. The blood flow was greater in the direction of gravity in all 31 subjects except 1 with severe mitral valve stenosis. With the subject in a sitting position, 4 different types of distribution were distinguished. One type had a 3-zonal blood flow distribution. Pulmonary arterial pressure and venous pressure estimated from this model showed reasonable agreement with pulmonary arterial pressure and capillary wedge pressure; this was measured by Swan-Ganz catheter in 17 supine patients and in 2 sitting patients. The method makes possible noninvasive assessment of pulmonary vascular pressures.