Chronic thromboembolic occlusion of main pulmonary artery does not reduce the lung clearance of 99mTc-DTPA.

In two patients with chronic unilateral massive pulmonary embolism, we studied the pulmonary epithelial permeability by measuring the clearance of inhaled and deposited 99mTc-DTPA aerosol. The clearances from the embolized lungs with complete or almost complete occlusion of a main pulmonary artery were more rapid than the clearances from the normal lung, which had an increased blood flow. This suggests that in chronic, embolized lung (1) the bronchial flow clears the inhaled solutes, and (2) there is an increase of epithelial permeability.