Functional scintigraphy of pulmonary ventilation with 133Xe in juvenile scoliosis

Twenty children with severe scoliosis underwent spirometry, chest X-ray and 133Xe ventilation studies before surgical correction by the Harrington operation. By means of functional scintigraphy the relative distribution of the functional residual capacity (FRC) and the wash-out curves (3 min-retention without background correction, mean time constant, effectivity index after background correction) were analysed quantitatively. The chest X-ray and the single-breath-phase of the ventilation study remained mostly unchanged, whereas the shifting of the FRC distribution towards the lung of the concave side indicated in all cases a regional ventilation restriction of the convex side. In addition the analysis of the wash-out curves showed a regional impairment of the alveolar ventilation of the convex side which exceeded the shifting of FRC distribution. Even in the cases with normal spirometric values all scintigraphic parameters were slightly pathological, probably due to the decreased lung function caused by the scoliosis. The effectivity index taking into account the respiration frequency, the tidal volume, the FRC and the dead space, was found to be the most accurate and sensitive parameter for the evaluation of regional ventilation impairment. (orig.)