The Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Vol 69, 767-775, Copyright © 1975 by The American Association for Thoracic Surgery and The Western Thoracic Surgical Association
Surgery of congenital heart disease assessed by radionuclide scintigraphy
GF Gates, HW Orme and EK Dore
Intravenous injection of 99mTc-labeled macroaggregated albumin (MAA)
followed by lung and whole-body scintigraphy results in data from which
magnitude of right-to-left shunting and distribution of pulmonary arterial
blood flow can be calculated. This information is useful in assessing the
functional capacity of a surgical systemic-pulmonic anastomosis.
Malfunctioning anastomoses do not significantly reduce right-to-left
shunting and may cause unilateral pulmonary hyperperfusion. However,
preferential nuclide accumulation may occur in either lung, regardless of
shunt function. Consequently, the degree of right-to-left shunting must be
determined to fully assess a surgical anastomosis. This technique also
allows for assessment of the reduction of right-to-left shunting after
intracardiac repairs of congenital cardiac abnormalities.