PERFUSION AND VENTILATION IMAGING IN PULMONARY TUBERCULOSIS

Although the diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis is not possible with radionuclide imaging alone, and in spite of the fact that the lung scan does not allow a classification of pulmonary tuberculosis into its various clinical and anatomical-pathological forms, it has its place in the work-up of this disease. Radionuclide imaging demonstrates precise delineation of regional lung function (ventilation and perfusion), which is particularly important in the prognosis of patients with specific problems: those in whom there is a long delay in the conversion from positive to negative sputum; those in whom the sputum remains positive in spite of adequate therapy; those in whom specific lesions resolve very slowly or not at all. In addition, these studies are useful in the preoperative work-up of patients with therapy resistant lesions.