Single photon emission tomography of lungs imaged with 99mTc-labeled aerosol

The use of single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) and radiolabeled aerosols for lung scanning offers theoretical advantages over conventional gamma camera imaging. We verified the feasibility of using such a system to define particle deposition. First, in two dogs, we detected segments of the lung which had received fewer radiolabeled particles because of obstruction to the airway by a balloon or a lead shot. Second, by comparing axial computed tomography (CT) images to their SPECT counterparts, we were able to demonstrate the effectiveness of SPECT in delineating large thoracic structures such as major vessels and central airways. We feel that SPECT also provides excellent images for qualitative work. We then used SPECT to study aerosol deposition in 13 normal subjects and eight patients. We found that the normal subjects had uniform peripheral deposition, but the eight with abnormal lung function had patchy deposition. Furthermore, we found that regions of abnormal deposition not seen on conventional views could be delineated by tomography. We conclude that this technique will improve our understanding of aerosol deposition in humans by providing a three-dimensional visualization of the lungs and airways.