Nuclear Medicine Scan of Pulmonary - Vq Scan Item 1 (Bilateral)

What Is a Bilateral VQ (Ventilation-Perfusion) Lung Scan?

A VQ scan is a type of nuclear medicine imaging test that uses small amounts of radioactive material (called a tracer) to create detailed images of your lungs’ function, rather than just their physical structure. This specific exam evaluates both lungs (bilateral) to check how evenly air flows into all areas of your lungs, and how well blood circulates through the blood vessels in your lung tissue, with no contrast dye used at any point during the test.

Common Clinical Uses for This Respiratory System Scan

Your provider may order this bilateral VQ scan to help diagnose or evaluate a range of respiratory and related cardiovascular conditions, including suspected pulmonary embolism (a blood clot blocking blood flow to part of your lung), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), pulmonary hypertension (high blood pressure in the lung arteries), or lung damage from prior infection, injury, or chronic conditions like sickle cell disease. It may also be used to assess how well your lungs are functioning before you undergo lung surgery or other major medical procedures.

What to Expect During Your 10-Minute Procedure

No special preparation is needed before your appointment, and you can eat, drink, and take your regular medications as normal unless your provider gives you different instructions. During the test, you will first breathe in a small amount of harmless radioactive tracer gas to capture images of air flow (ventilation) in your lungs, followed by a small injection of a different radioactive tracer to capture images of blood flow (perfusion) through your lung blood vessels. A special gamma camera will take images of both lungs from multiple angles; the entire process takes approximately 10 minutes, there is no enclosed scanning space so there is no claustrophobia risk, and the amount of radiation used is very low and considered safe for most patients.