Sickle cell patient with an acute chest syndrome and a negative chest X-ray: potential role of the ventilation and perfusion (V/Q) lung scan.

Acute chest syndrome (ACS) in sickle cell disease is caused by thromboemboli in the pulmonary vasculature. The diagnostic criteria include the presence of pulmonary infiltrate(s) on chest x-ray. This case report suggests that a V/Q scan may play a diagnostic role in sickle cell patients with symptoms of ACS and a negative chest x-ray.