title: Assessment of gallium-67 scanning in pulmonary and extrapulmonary sarcoidosis.
abstract: Gallium-67 scans have been widely employed in patients with sarcoidosis as a means of indicating alveolitis and the need for corticosteroid therapy. Observation of 32 patients followed 3 or more years after gallium scans showed no correlation between findings and later course: of 10 patients with pulmonary uptake, 7 recovered with minor residuals; of 18 patients with mediastinal of extrathoracic uptake, 10 had persistent or progressive disease; of 4 patients with negative initial scans, 2 had later progression. The value of gallium-67 scans as an aid to diagnosis was studied in 40 patients with extrapulmonary sarcoidosis. In 12 patients, abnormal lacrimal, nodal, or pulmonary uptake aided in selection of biopsy sites. Gallium-67 scans and serum ACE levels were compared in 97 patients as indices of clinical activity. Abnormal gallium-67 uptake was observed in 96.3% of the tests in active disease, and ACE level elevation occurred in 56.3%. In 24 patients with inactive or recovered disease, abnormal gallium-67 uptake occurred in 62.5% and ACE level elevation in 37.5%. Gallium-67 scans have a limited but valuable role in the diagnosis and management of sarcoidosis.
mesh_terms: D002908:Chronic Disease; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005710:Gallium Radioisotopes; D006801:Humans; D008168:Lung / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D008171:Lung Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D008297:Male; D007703:Peptidyl-Dipeptidase A / Q000097:blood; D011859:Radiography; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D012507:Sarcoidosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D013997:Time Factors; D014915:Whole-Body Counting
chemical_list: D005710:Gallium Radioisotopes; D007703:Peptidyl-Dipeptidase A