Assessment of Ventilation and Perfusion in Patients with COVID-19 Discloses Unique Information of Pulmonary Function to a Clinician: Case Reports of V/P SPECT

Abstract

V/P SPECT from 4 consecutive patients with COVID-19 suggests that ventilation and perfusion images may be applied to diagnose or exclude pulmonary embolism, verify nonsegmental diversion of perfusion from the ventilated areas (dead space ventilation) that may represent inflammation of the pulmonary vasculature, detect the reversed mismatch of poor ventilation and better preserved perfusion (shunt perfusion) in bilateral pulmonary inflammation and indicate redistribution of lung perfusion (antigravitational hyperperfusion) due to cardiac congestion. V/P mismatch and reversed mismatch may be extensive enough to diminish dramatically preserved matching ventilation/perfusion and to induce severe hypoxemia in COVID-19.