Imaging of regional pulmonary ventilation patterns using nonradioactive Xe-enhanced CT and its clinical evaluation

Dynamic changes in regional pulmonary ventilation patterns (RPVP) were examined in 22 patients with pulmonary interstitial disorders using CT after Xe inhalation. There was a definite difference in regional Xe washout curves among patients. For the same patient, washout curves differed in the normal and diseased lungs. Xe-enhanced CT was useful in evaluating the effect of pulmonary blood flow on RPVP, as well as RPVP changes resulting from ventilation disturbance due to interstitial disorder and lung congestion. It also allowed the evaluation for early effects of cardiac disease-related blood circulation on the lungs. (Namekawa, K.)