Clinical pulmonary perfusion imaging in the dog

Area of Science:

• Veterinary diagnostic imaging
• Pulmonary medicine
• Nuclear medicine

Background:

• Scintigraphic pulmonary perfusion imaging is established in healthy dogs.
• Its utility in dogs with pulmonary dysfunction requires further assessment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the usefulness of scintigraphic pulmonary perfusion imaging in canine patients with pulmonary dysfunction.
• To identify common perfusion defect patterns in dogs with lung disease.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective review of 76 consecutive clinical cases.
• Analysis of scintigraphic pulmonary perfusion imaging findings in dogs with diagnosed pulmonary dysfunction.

Main Results:

• Three basic patterns of perfusion defects were identified.
• These patterns were associated with diffuse parenchymal metastatic disease, mediastinal metastatic disease, and heartworm disease.
• The technique proved reliable for staging neoplastic disease and showed potential value in heartworm disease.

Conclusions:

• Scintigraphic pulmonary perfusion imaging is a valuable diagnostic tool in dogs with pulmonary dysfunction.
• It aids in the staging of neoplastic disease and has potential in diagnosing heartworm disease.
• The technique is now routinely used for clinical diagnosis at the institution.