The influence of various factors on the accuracy of gallium-67 imaging for occult infection.
To examine whether the results and interpretation of gallium-67 citrate imaging may be adversely influenced by factors present in compromised patients, we reviewed our 1-year experience in 69 patients in intensive care units, renal transplants, and those on hemodialysis. Our results indicate that it is an inappropriate diagnostic procedure for acute pancreatitis since seven of nine had false-negative results. Using loglinear modeling and chi-square analysis we found that treatment with antiinflammatory steroids, severe liver disease, end-stage renal disease, and renal transplantation with immunosuppressive therapy did not interfere with gallium-67 uptake. Increased rate of true-negative results in patients with end-stage renal disease was due to a greater and earlier use of the test in the febrile transplant patient and in hemodialysis patients with infections not amenable to diagnosis with gallium-67 scan (transient bacteremia and bacteriuria). We conclude that gallium-67 imaging is a useful diagnostic tool that, with the exception of acute pancreatitis, has very few false-negative results.
Maderazo
E G
EG
Department of Medicine, Hartford Hospital, CT 06115.
Hickingbotham
N B
NB
Woronick
C L
CL
Sziklas
J J
JJ
D000005:Abdomen; D000038:Abscess / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D000208:Acute Disease; D005260:Female; D005710:Gallium Radioisotopes; D006801:Humans; D007239:Infections / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D007674:Kidney Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D008171:Lung Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D008297:Male; D010195:Pancreatitis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging
D005710:Gallium Radioisotopes