Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 26, 2026
Phase-Resolved Functional Lung MRI for Pulmonary Ventilation and Perfusion (V/Q) Assessment
Published on: August 9, 2024
Prediction of the postoperative pulmonary function in lung cancer patients with borderline function using
Xiaohua Zhu1, Ming Zhao, Chuan Liu
1Department of Nuclear Medicine, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China. evazhu@vip.sina.com
Objective:
To predict the postoperative pulmonary function using ventilation-perfusion scintigraphy and explore its feasibility in evaluating surgical risk for lung cancer patients with borderline pulmonary functions [forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV₁)<2.0 l for pneumonectomy or <1.5 l for lobectomy].
Methods:
Twenty lung cancer patients (52-86 years, four women, 16 men) with borderline pulmonary functions were included in this study. Planar ventilation scans with Tc-diethylenetriamine pentaacetic acid aerosol and perfusion scans with Tc-macroaggregated albumin were performed before surgery. Pulmonary function test was performed 1 week before surgery for all patients and 2 months after surgery for 12 patients. The predicted postoperative FEV₁ (ppoFEV₁) values were calculated using Neuhaus equations and compared with FEV₁ values after surgery.
Results:
There was no significant statistical difference between the ppoFEV₁ values resulting from the ventilation scan (ppoFEV₁-V) and the ppoFEV₁ values resulting from the perfusion scan (ppoFEV₁-Q): (1.153 ± 0.227) l versus (1.204 ± 0.210) l (n=20, t=0.045, P>0.05). No statistically significant difference existed between the ppoFEV₁-V values and the postoperative FEV₁ values: (1.238 ± 0.200) l versus (1.28 ± 0.146) l (n=12, t=0.557, P>0.05), or between the ppoFEV₁-Q values and the postoperative FEV1 values: (1.302 ± 0.161) l versus (1.28 ± 0.146) l (n=12, t=0.288, P>0.05). Both ppoFEV₁-V values and ppoFEV₁-Q values fairly correlated with the postoperative FEV₁ values (r=0.765, 0.674; t=3.756, 2.885, P<0.01, P<0.01).
Conclusion:
Ventilation-perfusion scans can predict postoperative pulmonary function and help evaluate the risk of surgery for lung cancer patients with borderline pulmonary functions.
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