Current Status of Ventilation-Perfusion Scintigraphy for Suspected Pulmonary Embolism.

Objective: The purpose of this article is to outline recent progress made in ventilation-perfusion (V/Q) scintigraphy imaging techniques and the interpretation systems used for the diagnosis of pulmonary embolism (PE). Various state-of-the-art approaches that can be selected according to the needs dictated by the medical practice environment and specific patient groups are presented.

Conclusion: Although advances in tomographic imaging have certainly improved the sensitivity of V/Q scans for the diagnosis of PE, they may lead to overdiagnosis by revealing small and clinically insignificant PEs.