Background
Many diverse acute clinical presentations are seen in the thoracic radiology reading room, including trauma, acute cardiopulmonary events, and sometime unusual manifestations of uncommon disease. This presentation will present many of these classical imaging appearance through quiz-based cases and matching questions.
Educational Goals / Teaching Points
List and discuss different nuclear medicine scans useful in thoracic radiology. Recognize diagnostic appearance of different radionuclide scans, useful in various conditions encountered in thoracic radiology. Pitfalls.
Key Anatomic/Physiologic Issues and Imaging Findings/Techniques
V/Q scan: brief description, interpretation, imaging appearance, differential diagnosis, and pitfalls. Special attention in pregnant females. Perfusion scan: role in pre- and postpneumonectomy. Myocardial perfusion scan: brief description, interpretation, imaging appearance, differential diagnosis, and various artifacts. Technetium vs thallium. MUGA scan: brief description, interpretation, imaging appearance, differential diagnosis, and pitfalls. Tumor Imaging including PET/CT. Infection Imaging, including fever of unknown origin and sarcoidosis. Unusual nuclear medicine cases in thoracic radiology: aspiration, right to left shunt, hepatic hydrothorax, extramedullary hematopoiesis, thoracic splenosis, and incidental tumor/malignancy detection.
Conclusion
By completing this presentation, you will better understand classic appearance, commonly seen on various nuclear medicine imaging modalities and, consequently, be better equipped to identify them as well as prevent or initiate timely aggressive intervention/surgery.
