DOES DIGITAL CHEST RADIOGRAPHY ASSESS REGIONAL VENTILATION

Digital radiography of the chest was evaluated for estimation of regio nal ventilation disturbances. Thirty-three patients with suspected bro nchial carcinomas were examined. Objective measurements of regional de nsity changes during breathing correlated significantly with standardi zed regional lung function tests (Xe-133 ventilation scintigraphy), bu t did not permit reliable individual estimations of regional ventilati on. About 35% of the density variations could be explained by regional ventilation. Thus, factors other than ventilation, e.g. changes in th e geometry of the thorax, have a major impact on the density variation at digital radiography.