[New trends of pulmonary nuclear medicine]

Radionuclide study for pulmonary diseases is divided in three large categories, respiratory function of ventilation and perfusion, non-respiratory function such as mucocilliary movement, epithelial permeability, and tumor imaging. Ventilation and perfusion scintigraphy are useful for the diagnosis and follow up of pulmonary embolism, obstructive lung disease, etc. A new ventilatory agent, 99mTc-technegas, is now available and many studies with this gas have been reported. As a tumor imaging agent, 201TlCl is coming popular for the diagnosis of lung cancer and early detection of metastatic lesions. Tumor detection with 99mTc-MIBI is also tried to differentiate the malignant tumor from the benign process. As applications of nuclear medicine for the interstitial lung disease, 67Ga scintigraphy and measurement of epithelial permeability with 99mTc-DTPA are available for an evaluation of activity of the disease and damage of lung epithelial integrity. In this report, significance and useful application of the radionuclide methods were summarized.