Reduced ventilation–perfusion (V/Q) mismatch following endobronchial valve insertion demonstrated by gallium-68 V/Q photon emission tomography/computed tomography

Abstract

Endobronchial valves (EBVs) are increasingly deployed in the management of severe emphysema. Initial studies focussed on volume reduction as the mechanism, with subsequent improvement in forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1). More recent studies have emphasized importance of perfusion on predicting outcomes, though findings have been inconsistent. Gallium- 68 ventilation–perfusion (V/Q) photon emission tomography (PET)/computed tomography (CT) is a novel imaging modality with advantages in spatial resolution, quantitation, and speed over conventional V/Q scintigraphy. We report a pilot case in which V/Q-PET/CT demonstrated discordant findings compared with quantitative CT analysis, and dire..