title: The specificity of technetium-labelled-leucocyte imaging of aortic grafts in the early postoperative period.
abstract: Radio-labelled-leucocyte imaging is becoming accepted as the investigation of choice when infection of prosthetic arterial bypass grafts is suspected. However, alternative sources of inflammation, such as haematoma and, perhaps, the healing and incorporation of newly inserted bypass grafts, are potential causes of false positive results. This study examines the use of technetium-labelled-leucocyte imaging during the postoperative in-hospital period following aortic bypass surgery. Two labelled-leucocyte scans were carried out serially in 20 patients randomly allocated to receive either of two types of Dacron aortic graft in regular use. The earlier scans were undertaken at 2-5 days after surgery and only two of these scans were positive. None of the later scans, undertaken at 7-10 days after surgery, was positive. None of the patients had a graft injection as evidenced by clinical features, leucocyte counts, and C-reactive protein measurements. These results suggest that recent surgery does not in itself significantly reduce the specificity of technetium-labelled-leucocyte imaging.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Freeman Hospital, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, U.K.
authors.forename: R L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Insall
authors.forename: P M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Keavey
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hawkins
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Hayes
authors.forename: N A
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chamberlain
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001018:Aortic Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D001807:Blood Vessel Prosthesis; D005260:Female; D006083:Graft Occlusion, Vascular / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006801:Humans; D007083:Iliac Artery / Q000601:surgery; D007962:Leukocytes; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D011474:Prosthesis Design; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D013667:Technetium
chemical_list: D013667:Technetium