title: Primary biliary cirrhosis: Tc-99m IDA planar and SPECT scanning.
abstract: The authors studied ten patients with primary biliary cirrhosis using planar and single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT); results were compared with those from 13 healthy subjects. Patients with primary biliary cirrhosis had six- to tenfold prolongation of mean halflife (t 1/2) hepatic excretion of technetium-99m iminodiacetic acid (IDA) compared with mean t 1/2 excretion in healthy subjects. All patients with primary biliary cirrhosis had diffuse, uniform hepatic isotope retention and normal major bile ducts on planar and SPECT scans. The gallbladder was seen within 60 minutes in nine of nine patients who had intact gallbladders. The mean gallbladder volume was normal, but gallbladder ejection fractions and ejection rates were reduced in patients with primary biliary cirrhosis compared with those of healthy subjects. In contrast with previous studies of patients with sclerosing cholangitis and common bile duct obstruction, patients with primary biliary cirrhosis had different findings on scintiscans. In the early evaluation of patients with cholestasis, Tc-99m IDA hepatobiliary scintigraphy may be useful in the selection of the most appropriate invasive diagnostic test to enable a definitive diagnosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine and Clinical Pathology, Oregon Health Sciences University, Portland 97201.
authors.forename: E B
authors.initials: EB
authors.lastname: Keeffe
authors.forename: D A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Lieberman
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Krishnamurthy
authors.forename: G T
authors.initials: GT
authors.lastname: Krishnamurthy
authors.forename: S A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Gilbert
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002761:Cholangitis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D005704:Gallbladder / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology; D006207:Half-Life; D006801:Humans; D007098:Imino Acids / Q000378:metabolism; D008099:Liver / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D008105:Liver Cirrhosis, Biliary / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009942:Organometallic Compounds / Q000378:metabolism; D015609:Organotechnetium Compounds; D012598:Sclerosis; D013667:Technetium / Q000378:metabolism; D014055:Tomography, Emission-Computed
chemical_list: D007098:Imino Acids; D009942:Organometallic Compounds; D015609:Organotechnetium Compounds; C046767:technetium Tc 99m iminodiacetic acid; D013667:Technetium