The stripe sign - Correlation of radionuclide ventilation and perfusion with He-3 magnetic resonance lung imaging

Purpose: The aim of this study was to correlate regional ventilation and pe rfusion images and perfusion SPECT with images made using a newly developed magnetic resonance ventilation (MRV) method. Materials and Methods: The investigation included a single patient with chr onic obstructive pulmonary disease and a healthy control participant. Venti lation and perfusion images using Xe-133 and Tc-99m MAA, including perfusio n SPECT, were compared with single-breath MRV with hyperpolarized He-3. Results: Ventilation and perfusion defects correspond to areas of poor vent ilation on MRV. High-resolution MRV images show preservation of bronchi and acinus units in areas of the "stripe sign" on the V/Q study. Conclusions: MRV imaging confirms that the stripe sign seen on nuclear perf usion imaging correlates with subsegmental preserved lung. MRV imaging has the potential for high-resolution innovative studies of subsegmental lung f unction, using either He-3 or Xe-129 hyperpolarized gases.