Can Normal V/Q Scyntigraphy Exclude Pulmonary Embolism?

*A. KARADAŞ, **E.S. UÇAN, ***A. KARGI, ****Ü. AÇIKEL, *****H. DURAK

Dokuz Eylül Üniversitesi Tıp Fakültesi
^*İç Hastalıkları Anabilim Dalı
^**Göğüs Hastalıkları Anabilim Dalı
^***Patoloji Anabilim Dalı
^****Göğüs Kalp Damar Cerrahisi Anabilim Dalı

A 42 year old woman was diagnosed as having deep venous thromboses 3 months after a myomectomy operation. However, she had complaints of sudden chest pain, dyspnea and hemoptysis within a week and chest X-ray showed a wedge shaped infiltrate on the left lower lobe of the lung. V/Q scyntigraphy taken initially and 15 days later were both found to be normal. Because of high clinical suspicion of pulmonary embolism, she was heparinized. Since there was no regretion in radiologic findings, an excision revealed a pulmonary embolism. it has been emphasized in many studies and in major text books that a normal scyntigraphy excludes pulmonary embolism. The case we present here represent an exception to this general rule. it is apparent that pulmonary embolism cases can present with a normal V/Q scyntigraphy. Therefore such cases should be evaluated with Corporation of clinical interpretation.

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