Abstract

Abstract:131I radioisotope pulmonary scans and ventilatory pulmonary function tests were obtained on 35 patients with active pulmonary tuberculosis before and at intervals during the course of antituberculosis chemotherapy. The results were correlated with chest roentgenograms and the clinical course of each patient. Almost all pulmonary scans showed two kinds of defects: “segmental” and “nonsegmental.” A “segmental” defect is presumably indicative of occlusion by endarteritis of the branches of the pulmonary artery supplying one or more bronchopulmonary segments. On serial studies, the segmental defect is seen to diminish in size with healing, suggesting recanalization of the previously occluded pulmonary artery division. Diminution in size of segmental defects could not be demonstrated until successful therapy had been conducted at least ten months. A “nonsegmental” defect is evidence of nonspecific decrease in pulmonary artery blood supply and reflects a more generalized lack of perfusion. Clearing of a lung with therapy and concomitant disappearance of segmental defects accentuated nonsegmental defects.