Radionuclide-guided balloon occlusion pulmonary cineangiography: an adjunct to pulmonary arteriography.

Fifty-eight patients, 38 of whom had pulmonary emboli, were evaluated for pulmonary occlusive disease with flow-directed balloon occlusion pulmonary cineangiography. Areas studied were selected by radionuclide perfusion lung scans and indeterminant areas of pulmonary occlusion were imaged on standard catheter pulmonary magnification cut films. In 4 of 38 patients, the balloon occlusion technique demonstrated peripheral pulmonary emboli not seen on standard pulmonary arteriography. Selective flow-directed balloon occlusion pulmonary cineangiography is an effective adjunct for evaluating some patients with pulmonary emboli.