Korean J Crit Care Med.  2011 Nov;26(4):272-275. 10.4266/kjccm.2011.26.4.272.

Multiple Bilateral Perfusion Defects in the Infant with Acute Viral Bronchiolitis: A Case Report

• Chung WJ
• Choi JW
• Han YJ
• Park JD

• KMID: 2228055
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4266/kjccm.2011.26.4.272

Abstract

Acute viral bronchiolitis (AVB) is an obstructive lung disease which frequently develops in infants and the most common functional involvement is a V/Q ratio change caused by small airway obstruction. We report a case showing the redistribution of pulmonary blood flow by multiple perfusion scan defects in an infant with AVB. A 15 month-old male infant visited ER due to respiratory difficulty. He manifested decreased lung sound in the left lung field, hyperinflation of the left lung on chest x-ray, and metabolic acidosis in blood gas analysis. A perfusion scan showed multiple perfusion defects of both lungs without the evidence of pulmonary embolism on a following cardiac CT and echocardiography. Human Rhinovirus PCR in a nasopharyngeal aspirate was positive. With supportive care, the symptom was resolved in 4 days. AVB can show multiple perfusion defects by the redistribution of pulmonary blood flow of which the direction is opposite to the usual distribution of pulmonary blood flow in children.

Keyword

acute viral bronchiolitis (AVB); perfusion defects; pulmonary blood flow

MeSH Terms

Acidosis
Airway Obstruction
Blood Gas Analysis
Bronchiolitis, Viral
Child
Echocardiography
Humans
Infant
Lung
Lung Diseases, Obstructive
Male
Perfusion
Polymerase Chain Reaction
Pulmonary Embolism
Respiratory Sounds
Rhinovirus
Thorax