The Comparison of the Diagnostic Accuracy of Lung Perfusion Scan Between Patients With and Without Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Publisher



Asadi S ; Kazemizadeh H ; Roostaei G ; Mahmoodi S V ; Rahimi B ; Farzanehfar S ; Abbasi M
Source: Iranian Journal of Nuclear Medicine Published:2026

Abstract

Introduction: Diagnostic accuracy of lung perfusion scan (LPS) for detection of pulmonary thromboembolism (PTE) is not well defined in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). In the current study, we intended to compare the scan performance between patients with and without COPD. Methods: Study comprised suspected PTE patients who had LPS in two groups of patients with and without COPD. Scans were done employing SPECT imaging and interpreted using PISAPED positive/negative criteria considering chest CT comparison. The pulmonologist final decision on the presence or absence of PTE was collected at 3-month follow up visit. This clinical decision was made based on the response to anticoagulation or therapies directed to other diagnoses, and consideration of all imaging and examinations available including calf ultrasonography, echocardiography, CT angiography, and the 3-month delayed LPS. The accuracy of the LPSs between those with and without COPD was compared. Results: Fifty-two patients without COPD and 49 patients with COPD were included. Out of all, 28 had PTE comprising 11 patients in COPD group (21.2%) and 17 in non-COPD (34.7%). In 3-month follow up, pulmonologist diagnosed 28 patients had PTE which exactly matched the initial report of LPS. The accuracy of the scan was 100% similarly in patients with and without COPD. Conclusion: The results support the optimal diagnostic performance of LPS for PTE similarly in patients with and without COPD. Copyright © 2026 The Authors. Published by Tehran University of Medical Sciences. This work is published as an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4). Non-commercial uses of the work are permitted, provided the original work is properly cited