Localization of bleeding small intestinal lesions using scanning techniques.
Gastrointestinal bleeding remains a major diagnostic problem, and the commonly employed techniques of contrast radiography, endoscopy, and arteriography may not successfully localize the site and/or define the cause of gastrointestinal hemorrhage. Technetium-99m pertechnetate scanning has been useful in identifying Meckel's diverticula, and modifications of this technique may successfully identify highly vascular lesions responsible for gastrointestinal bleeding. A patient with recurrent hemorrhage from a leiomyosarcoma of the ileum is described. The lesion was identified with flow studies and immediate static imaging after injection of technetium-99m pertechnetate. In addition, the lesion was demonstrated by scanning using in vivo technetium-99m pertechnetate labelled autologous erythrocytes. The potential value of these scanning techniques as noninvasive tools for the localization and identification of lesions responsible for gastrointestinal bleeding is discussed.
D000368:Aged; D006471:Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006801:Humans; D007082:Ileum; D007414:Intestinal Neoplasms / Q000150:complications; D007421:Intestine, Small / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D007890:Leiomyosarcoma / Q000150:complications; D008297:Male; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D012008:Recurrence; D013667:Technetium
D013667:Technetium