Dorsal and/or Ventral Detectors in Studies of Regional Lung Function by133Xe-Radiospirometry

In 92 patients with various lung diseases we have compared the results obtained using ventral and dorsal detectors with those obtained with only ventral or dorsal detectors. There was a good agreement as regards the estimate of the right lung's part of total pulmonary perfusion, ventilation, and volume. With ventral detectors only, there was an over-estimation of the right lung's part of perfusion, ventilation, and volume, especially when comparing the basal parts of the lungs. The advantage of separating the information from dorsal and ventral detectors is discussed.