1. Air leaks localized with lung ventilation SPECT.
- Author
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Ceulemans G, De Meirleir L, Keyaerts M, Smets D, Verdries D, Vincken W, and Everaert H
- Subjects
- Humans, Lung Diseases, Obstructive diagnostic imaging, Lung Diseases, Obstructive physiopathology, Male, Middle Aged, Air, Lung diagnostic imaging, Lung physiopathology, Pulmonary Ventilation, Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon
- Abstract
A 61-year-old man with severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease presented to our hospital with recurrence of a right-sided spontaneous secondary pneumothorax. Thoracoscopic abrasion of the parietal pleura was performed, but an important air leak persisted. Presumed to originate from a bulla in the right upper lobe, bullectomy and pleural decortication were performed, but leakage remained. Lobectomy was considered, and quantitative ventilation/perfusion SPECT was performed to predict the functional outcome.Fused high-resolution CT/Tc Technegas images localized leakage not only to a bleb in the right upper lobe but also to the subcutaneous emphysema in the thoracic wall. The air leak resolved after conservative treatment.
- Published
- 2012
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