Current Status of Ventilation-Perfusion Scintigraphy for Suspected Pulmonary Embolism

The purpose of this article is to outline recent progress made in ventilation-perfusion (V/Q) scintigraphy imaging techniques and the interpretation systems used for the diagnosis of pulmonary embolism (PE). Various state-of-the-art approaches that can be selected according to the needs dictated by the medical practice environment and specific patient groups are presented.

Although advances in tomographic imaging have certainly improved the sensitivity of V/Q scans for the diagnosis of PE, they may lead to overdiagnosis by revealing small and clinically insignificant PEs.