[Results of lung perfusion and lung ventilation scintigraphy following surgery of diaphragmatic defects].

To elucidate the question whether congenital hernias of the diaphragm and diaphragmatic defects are often combined with primary hypoplasia of the pulmonary vascular bed, we performed lung scintigraphy in twenty children after operation of a diaphragmatic defect. We found in 66% of the cases persisting perfusion disorders of the operated side. However, this does not prove primary vascular hypoplasia, because a postoperative ventilation disorder with secondary perfusion disorder cannot be excluded. Ventilation scintigraphy with krypton-81m showed good results in all cases, so that the combination of good ventilation and restricted perfusion indicates primary vascular hypoplasia.