Role of radionuclide imaging in patients with suspected pulmonary embolism.

The accurate diagnosis of acute pulmonary embolism often represents a challenge to clinicians. The ventilation/perfusion (V/Q) lung scan provides a safe, noninvasive technique, which has been widely used in the diagnosis of pulmonary embolism. Although some controversy still exists in the management of patients with suspected pulmonary embolism, diagnostic strategies for investigating patients have incorporated V/Q scanning, noninvasive venous studies of the lower extremities and clinical assessment of the likelihood of pulmonary embolism. The combination of these strategies will provide acceptable diagnostic accuracy for evaluating patients with suspected pulmonary embolism in the majority of cases.