CT pulmonary angiography versus P-SPECT in behçet sydrome patients with pulmonary artery involment

Aim: Pulmonary artery involment in Behçet can be seen either with pulmonary artery aneursym, in situ thrombosis or both. In order to detect the chronic thrombosis in pulmonary involment we wanted to compare and evaluate two different imaging techniques P-SPECT and CTPA. Material and Method: During the 2 years period (01/05/2022 – 01/03/2024), 120 Behçet patients with pulmonary involment 80 of them which had recent CTPA and P-SPECT in their follow up were identified in Rheumatology outpatient clinic of İstanbul University-Cerrahpasa, Cerrahpasa Medical Faculty. Patients records, demographic and clinical features, treatments were retrospectively reviewed. In order to minimize the observer errors the images were interpreted by two radiology specialist and two nuclear medicine specialist. İmages were compared inbetween two imaging techniques according to their localization of involment. Results: 68(%85) of the 80 patients in the study had thrombosis and/or perfusion defect detected by at least one observer. From those 68 patients in 52 (%76,4) of them both radiologist, 59 (%86,7) of them both nuclear medicine specialist were in agreement, respectively (kappa=0.856 and 0.933). Between radiology and nuclear medicine 49 patients was in agreement (kappa=518). Most frequent segments that were involved were right posterobasal and laterobasal, left posterobasal and laterobasal respectively (%11, %10,%10,%10) . Compatibility was high in lower and low in upper segments. Conclusion: Due to significant compatibilty to show chronic thrombosis and localization in both observers and imaging techniques, and that both imaging techniques can detect distal thrombosis, CTPA and P/SPECT can be used safely in BS patients to diagnose and follow up of pulmonary involment. Anahtar Kelimeler: Behçet Disease, Pulmonary artery, CTPA, P/SPECT, CTEPH