Lung Perfusion Imaging and $Tc^{99m}-Macroaggregated$ Human Serum Albumin

Lung perfusion scanning, invariably combined with ventilation studies provides a reliable and non-invasive mean to diagnose lung related pathologies despite the availability of modern techniques such as angiography, magnetic resonance imaging, magnetic resonance angiography, and helical (spiral) computed tomography. The technique involves the generation of images by radiations emitted from radioisotopes introduced in to the lungs. Various radiopharmaceuticals have been proposed and designed to incorporate $Tc^{99m}$ in to macroparticulate form for lung perfusion imaging. However, most of these have associated difficulties such as reproducibility of the product with regards to particle size distribution and poor elimination from the lung capillary bed. $Tc^{99m}$ macroaggregated albumin $(Tc^{99m}-MAA)$ is used extensively for clinical lung perfusion imaging and is considered as the radiopharmaceutical of choice. It is non-toxic, safe, and being biodegradable, is easily eliminated from the lung capillary bed by proteolytic enzyme metabolism and by mechanical forces due to lung movement.