[Pulmonary scintigraphy using the inhalation of monodispersed radioactive aerosols. Preliminary report]

This article describes a method for inhalatory lung scintigraphy (ILS) by the use of radioactive monodisperse aerosols, with particles smaller than 2 microns. We discuss the findings in normal subjects, in patients with pulmonary embolism (PE) or/and obstructive pulmonary disease (OPD), and in individuals with severe pulmonary hypertension. This procedure has several advantages over the use of radioactive gases, such as 133Xe and 81Krm: lower cost, easier to perform, several scintigraphic projections in one study, acquisition of perfusion and inhalatory images in a single session, and inhalatory and perfusion images with identical spatial resolution and similar data density. It is concluded that ILS with radioactive monodisperse aerosols is a useful method for the study of OPD and in conjunction with perfusion lung scintigraphy is helpful in the diagnosis of PE.