title: Results of cholescintigraphy in a VA hospital.
abstract: In a review of 200 hepatobiliary imaging studies done in a VA hospital over a 5-year period, a sensitivity of 96% and a specificity of 88% were obtained. In a subgroup of 40 patients with alcoholic liver disease, the specificity dropped to 60% although the sensitivity remained high (100%). These data indicated that in patients with alcoholic liver disease a positive DISIDA scan is not diagnostic of acute cholecystitis and cannot be interpreted as an indication for cholecystectomy. Possible modifications of imaging techniques, including delayed imaging and morphine-augmented cholescintigraphy, may prove to increase the specificity of cholescintigraphy in these patients. A prospective study using these modifications would help in determining the current role of cholescintigraphy in the diagnosis of acute cholecystitis in patients with alcoholic liver disease.
authors.affiliation: Surgical Service and Nuclear Medicine Service, Hines VA Hospital, Illinois.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Carballo
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Worsch
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bushnell
authors.forename: G V
authors.initials: GV
authors.lastname: Aranha
mesh_terms: D002764:Cholecystitis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D002769:Cholelithiasis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D005188:False Negative Reactions; D005189:False Positive Reactions; D005704:Gallbladder / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006787:Hospitals, Veterans; D006801:Humans; D007087:Illinois; D008104:Liver Cirrhosis, Alcoholic / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D012189:Retrospective Studies