Lung Ventilation/Perfusion (V/Q)
Description
Lung function requires a close interaction between pulmonary circulation, the respiratory pump, and lung parenchyma. Diseases of the respiratory system can impact each of these components, therefore differentiation between the individual components and contributors to a functional impairment are essential for appropriate diagnosis and treatment. Many pulmonary diseases present as atypical regional ventilation and perfusion function, resulting in mismatch between these components. Imaging modalities such as nuclear medicine, computed tomography, and magnetic resonance imaging can perform ventilation/perfusion (V/Q) evaluations that may be utilized to provide necessary regional insight into pathophysiological processes identified in global pulmonary function tests and enable improved planning of therapeutic measures.