[Regional lung perfusion in patients with chronic nonspecific lung diseases based on scintigraphic study data]

Perfusion scintigraphy of the lungs with 99mTc-labeled microspheres was used for a study of changes of regional perfusion of lesser circulation in patients with chronic bronchitis of a varying degree of disturbed pulmonary hemodynamics. Even before a stable rise of pulmonary vascular resistance and development of pulmonary arterial hypertension, chronic bronchitis was characterized by redistribution of the blood flow from the lower parts of the lungs to the upper ones, which progressed with disturbance of pulmonary arterial circulation and the development of chronic cor pulmonale. This redistribution could be determined by an earlier and more important rise of the vascular tone and resistance to the blood flow in the lower parts of the lungs. The use of scintigraphic indices of the upper and lower parts (U/L) perfusion ratio led to adequate assessment of a degree of redistribution of the pulmonary blood flow in patients with chronic bronchitis.