Abstract
A preliminary evaluation of the potential utilisation of osmium-191/iridium-191m for pulmonary blood flow imaging was performed. This evaluation was part of a more general study concerning the use of 191mIr for first-pass radionuclide angiocardiography (FPRNA). In eight selected patients with suspected pulmonary disease, we generated, from the data collected during FPRNA, an image representing blood flow distribution to the lungs. A software program was developed in order to differentiate the lungs from the heart, to define the wash-in lung phase and finally to construct an image representing pulmonary blood flow distribution. We compared that image with a standard lung perfusion image using technetium-99m macroaggregated albumin (MAA) and plain chest X-ray and computerized tomography (CT). The obtained 191mIr perfusion images showed a spatial activity distribution similar to that seen on 99mTc-MAA lung perfusion scans, and in most cases the same perfusion defects. Disease revealed by plain chest X-ray and CT was nicely correlated with perfusion defects seen on the 191mIr images. The combined information of lung perfusion and dynamic cardiac parameters obtained by FPRNA (right and left ventricular ejection fractions) added another relevant dimension to the clinical picture of patients with pulmonary embolism, chronic obstructive lung disease, lung tumour or suspected congestive heart failure. We conclude that 191mIr may become a practical tool for achieving the conceptually promising approach of combined lung-heart real-time imaging.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Treves S, Kulprathipanga S, Hnatowch DJ. Angiocardiography with iridium-191m: an ultra short-lived radionuclide (T1/2=4.9 s). Circulation 1976; 54: 275–279.
Cheng C, Treves S, Samuel A, et al. A new osmium-191/iridium-191m generator. J Nucl Med 1980; 21: 1169–1176.
Packard AB, Treves ST, O'Brien GM, et al. An osmium191/iridium-191m radionuclide generator using an oxalate osmate parent complex. J Nucl Med 1987;28: 1571–1576.
Heller GV, Treves ST, Parker JA, et al. Comparison of ultra short-lived iridium-191m with technetium-99m for first pass radionuclide angiocardiographic evaluation of right and left ventricular function in adults. J Am Coll Cardiol 1986; 7: 1295–1302.
Hellman C, Zafrir N, Shimoni A, et al. Evaluation of ventricular function with first pass iridium-191m radionuclide angiocardiography. J Nucl Med 1989; 30: 50–457.
Franken PR, Dobbeleir AA, Ham HR, et al. Clinical usefulness of ultrashort-lived iridium-191m from a carbon-based generator system for the evaluation of the left ventricular function. J Nucl Med 1989; 30: 1025–1031.
Treves S, Cheng C, Samuel A, et al. Iridium-191m angiocardiography for the detection of left-to-right shunting. J Nucl Med 1980;21:1151–1157.
Issachar D, Abrashkin S, Weininger J, et al. Osmium-191/iridium-191m generator based on silica gel impregnated with tridodecylmethylammonium chloride. J Nucl Med 1989; 30: 538–541.
Weininger J, Issachar D, Lubin E, et al. Influence of pH adjustment agents on the biologic behavior of osmium-191 impurity in iridium-191m generator eluates. J Nucl Med 1990; 31:523–525.
Gal R, Grenier RP, Carpenter J, et al. High count rate first-pass radionuclide angiography using a digital gamma camera. J Nucl Med 1986; 27: 198–206.
Blumgart HL, Yens O. Velocity of blood flow. The method utilized. J Clin Invest 1926; 4: 1.
Blumgart HL, Weiss S. Clinical studies on the velocity of blood flow. The pulmonary circulation time, the velocity of venous blood flow to the heart and related aspects of the circulation in patients with cardiovascular disease. J Clin Invest 1927; 5: 343.
Bender MA, Blau M. The autofluoroscope. Nucleonics 1963; 21: 52.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
Correspondence to: M. Bocher
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Bocher, M., Issachar, D., Zabari, M. et al. The use of iridium-191m for pulmonary blood flow imaging. Eur J Nucl Med 21, 427–431 (1994). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00171418
Revised:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00171418