Pre-and postoperative Tc 99m scanning in monitoring pulmonary perfusion in the tetralogy of Fallot

Abstract

Angiocardiopneumographic scanning with Tc 99m was used in pulmonary perfusion and intracardiac shunt before and after radical corrective surgery of the tetralogy of Fallot. The study was carried out on 25 patients with the tetralogy of Fallot undergoing radical treatment with infundibular patch. Preoperative scanning has shown increased thickening of right ventricle and contemporary injection of pulmonary artery and aorta, the latter with a much higher radioactivity; the obstruction to the right flow was not clearly defined with respect to morphology and function, pulmonary perfusion has shown an extremely poor radioactivity and prolonged duration. Scanning following surgical treatment showed normal right and left phase and absence of residual shunts. Captation of marker in the lungs was always complete. Such data illustrate the many advantages gained by the use of non invasive diagnostic procedures in cardiology and "the first pass technique" in the evaluation of results of surgical treatment.