Ventilation-perfusion (V/Q) imaging has been used as the screening test for pulmonary
embolism (PE) for many years with diagnostic algorithms developed as a result of the
Prospective Investigation of Pulmonary Embolism Diagnosis study. The primary conclusions
were that high probability V/Q scans were reliable indicators for PE and normal or
near-normal scans were reliable in the exclusion of PE. With the increasing availability
of spiral (helical) computed tomography (CT) and many studies showing a high degree
of accuracy for PE, there is much support for the replacement of V/Q by spiral CT.
This article reviews the literature concerning V/Q scanning, spiral (helical) CT,
and the future potential for magnetic resonance in the diagnosis of PE.
Pulmonary embolism - CT - MR - V/Q imaging