Superior vena cava obstruction as suggested by extrapulmonary uptake on lung scintigraphy.

摘要

The authors present a case of a 79-year-old woman who was admitted with acute shortness of breath and pleuritic chest pain. A diagnosis of pulmonary emboli was made on lung scintigraphy (VQ scan). However, further imaging, which led to the eventual diagnosis of SVC obstruction, was made only after detecting abnormal extrapulmonary tracer accumulation. Understanding the significance of extrapulmonary uptake on lung scintigraphy is vital in appreciating the development of venous collaterals in superior vena cava obstruction.