Non-invasive diagnosis of tracheobronchomalacia using a modified ventilation radioisotope lung scan

Abstract

The use of radionuclide ventilation lung scan to characterise the physiological effects of tracheobronchomalacia is a novel application of this non-invasive technique. In the reported case the right upper lobe was found to be not ventilated below a pressure of 20 cm H2O despite evidence from a dynamic tracheobronchogram of the right upper lobe bronchus opening at the lower pressure of 15 cm H2O.