Hepatopulmonary Syndrome Mimics Pulmonary Embolism on Pulmonary Ventilation/Perfusion SPECT/CT Study

A 64-year-old woman with a history of cirrhosis and progressive difficulty breathing underwent pulmonary ventilation/perfusion SPECT to evaluate possible pulmonary embolism. The images demonstrated multiple mismatched ventilation/perfusion defects in both lungs, suggesting pulmonary embolism. However, there was also Tc-MAA radioactivity in the brain and bilateral kidney, with a right-to-left shunting rate of 8.8%. In addition, CT pulmonary angiography did not demonstrate embolus. The findings indicated that perfusion defects were caused by hepatopulmonary syndrome.