Indeterminate Lung Imaging Can the Number be Reduced?

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Abstract
During a 2 1/2-year period, 1131 patients with suspected pulmonary embolism had ventilation-perfusion lung scans; 150 of these patients also underwent pulmonary angiography. In a retrospective study, these 150 patients were re-evaluated using the reference criteria of Biello and Alderson, with 62% read as indeterminate. Twenty patients who had chronic obstructive pulmonary disease with retention of Xe-133 in greater than 50% of the lung fields without corresponding radiographic abnormality were included. Ventilation/perfusion matches and mismatches could be correctly determined in 15 of these patients. These 15 of 20 studies could be correctly reclassified as low-probability, while the other five remained indeterminate. With increasing intervals between ventilation/perfusion lung imaging and the onset of symptoms, the percentage of patients with proven pulmonary emboli correctly diagnosed as high probability continuously decreased, and the percentage of studies read as indeterminate constantly increased. Serial chest radiographs suggested that the development of infiltrates in the region of the embolus convert high-probability ventilation/perfusion scans to indeterminate.