Pulmonary nuclear medicine

The major nuclear medicine contribution to the pulmonary imaging literature for the past year was the inaugural report from the Prospective Investigation of Pulmonary Embolism Diagnosis study. Investigations focusing on the role of thrombolytic agents for the management of pulmonary thrombosis have advanced to the stage in which different therapeutic regimens are being tested along with new agents that continue to emerge. Ongoing research and clinical trials are evaluating newer radiolabeled aerosols in patients with airways and interstitial lung disease using imaging and clearance measurements. Positron-emission tomography continues to be utilized in a few research centers for tumor localization and characterization.