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This Article Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Google Scholar Articles by Gannon, J. Articles by Seitz, J. PubMed Articles by Gannon, J. Articles by Seitz, J.

"V/Q scans are always intermediate/indeterminate probability" – Fact or fiction

¹ Nuclear Medicine, William Beaumont Hospital, Royal Oak, Michigan

750

Learning Objectives: 1. Dispel the myth that most V/Q scans are indeterminate probability by showing the data calculated from a retrospective review of 461 patient files. 2. Increase diagnostic confidence by showing data and select VQ scintigraphy images with correlative angiographic studies.

Abstract Body: Methods: Having heard the assertion "V/Q scans are always indeterminate probability", we conducted a retrospective review of 461 patients imaged with 99mTc-MAA and 99mTc-aerosolized DTPA V/Q scintigraphy. This included 247 patients with planar images and 214 patients with SPECT scintigraphy during 2006. By retrospectively correlating difficult to interpret V/Q images with other imaging modalities and the clinical outcome, the significance of confounding V/Q scan findings are better appreciated. This presentation will show the results of our review. Characteristics of V/Q scans interpreted as intermediate probability and having other correlative imaging studies will be displayed to better stratify the V/Q findings into an appropriate probability category. Results: Only 30% of planar and 17% of SPECT studies had an intermediate probability for PE. Of the patients who had intermediate probability for PE on V/Q scan, 35 had correlative angiographic imaging, only 4 patients had positive angiography findings, while 31 were negative. Conclusions: The majority of V/Q scans are not intermediate. SPECT studies appeared to have less intermediate probability diagnosis than planar studies. Most intermediate probability V/Q scans have negative angiography. Reviewing the factors leading to a diagnosis of intermediate probability in the patients of this retrospective study, and correlating with angiographic and clinical outcome may improve diagnostic accuracy of future V/Q scans.

This Article Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Google Scholar Articles by Gannon, J. Articles by Seitz, J. PubMed Articles by Gannon, J. Articles by Seitz, J.