title: Scintisplenoportography in assessing patency of distal splenorenal shunts.
abstract: Scintisplenoportography was performed on 33 occasions in 28 cirrhotic patients who had bled from esophagogastric varices. In 17 cases scintisplenoportography was carried out after a retroperitoneal distal splenorenal shunt procedure and in the remaining 16 instances in patients without any surgical shunt. In four patients scintisplenoportography was performed before and after a surgical shunt procedure, and in one case, before and after the shunt thrombosed. Gammagraphic patterns and spleen-heart times helped determine which patients did not have a surgical shunt, which had a patent shunt, and which patients had a thrombosed shunt. A patent shunt pattern and a thrombosed shunt pattern have been defined. It is concluded that scintisplenoportography is a useful, reproducible, and safe method to assess the patency of distal splenorenal shunts.
mesh_terms: D004932:Esophageal and Gastric Varices / Q000150:complications; D006471:Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D006975:Hypertension, Portal / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D008102:Liver Circulation; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000150:complications; D011170:Portasystemic Shunt, Surgical / Q000009:adverse effects; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D013670:Sodium Pertechnetate Tc 99m; D013164:Splenorenal Shunt, Surgical / Q000009:adverse effects; D013667:Technetium; D013927:Thrombosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000209:etiology; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D013667:Technetium; D013670:Sodium Pertechnetate Tc 99m