[A new application of bull's-eye analysis to lung perfusion scintigraphy]

Technetium-99m macroaggregated albumin lung perfusion scintigraphy was performed and evaluated semiquantitatively by bull's-eye analysis in 24, including 7 with central pulmonary carcinoma, 3 with hypersensitivity pneumonitis (HP), 3 with diffuse panbronchiolitis (DPB) and 11 normal subjects. First, whole lung field was divided into three regions by three concentric circles. And then radial axes were projected from the center to define 36 sectors, 10 degree each. The counts of each sector was calculated and bull's-eye image and circumferential profile curve were displayed. The patient's map was compared with the lower limit of normal (mean-2 SD), and the extent score (ES) and the severity score (SS) were calculated. The ES was 0.25 +/- 0.12 in pulmonary carcinoma (n = 7), 0.08 +/- 0.07 in HP (n = 3), 0.06 +/- 0.04 in DPB (n = 3). The SS was 26.39 +/- 15.17 in pulmonary carcinoma, 4.75 +/- 5.57 in HP, 4.29 +/- 3.67 in DPB. In one case of central pulmonary carcinoma, segmental perfusion defect was evaluated semiquantitatively by bull's-eye image and circumferential profile curve. And in one case of HP, the change of regional pulmonary blood flow could be followed easily using extent and severity map. This new application of Bull's eye analysis to lung perfusion scintigraphy might be useful to evaluate regional pulmonary blood flow.