Diagnosis of prosthetic vascular graft infection by technetium-99m-HMPAO-labeled leukocytes.
The purpose of this study was to determine the usefulness of 99mTc-HMPAO-labeled leukocyte scans in the diagnosis of prosthetic vascular graft infection.


METHODS
We performed 75 scans in 61 patients with vascular grafts. Thirty-six patients were evaluated for suspected infection and 25 were control patients. Scintigraphic images were performed at 5 min, 30 min, 3 hr and, occasionally, 24 hr. Persistent increased uptake at 3 hr along the suspected area of the graft was considered evidence of graft infection.


RESULTS
All 20 infected grafts were detected with 99mTc-HMPAO leukocyte scan. The sensitivity and specificity of the scan in the detection of infected graft were 100%. We also detected two pelvic abscesses, two infected fistulae, two soft-tissue infections, three cases of ischemic colitis, one acute diverticulitis, one infected hematoma, one septic arthritis and one noninfected hematoma. One patient with a superficial groin infection had a negative scan. The eight pseudoaneurysms did not show scintigraphic evidence of graft infection. Correlative CT studies were performed in 12 cases.


CONCLUSIONS
Technetium-99m-HMPAO-labeled leukocyte scan is an accurate and valuable diagnostic method for evaluation of suspected prosthetic vascular graft infection.
Prats
E
E
Department of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital, Zaragoza, Spain.
Banzo
J
J
Abós
M D
MD
Garcia-Lopez
F
F
Escalera
T
T
Garcia-Miralles
M
M
Gaston
R
R
Asenjo
M J
MJ
D000368:Aged; D017541:Aneurysm, False / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D001012:Aorta, Abdominal / Q000601:surgery; D001807:Blood Vessel Prosthesis / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D005263:Femoral Artery / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D007962:Leukocytes; D008297:Male; D015609:Organotechnetium Compounds; D010091:Oximes; D016459:Prosthesis-Related Infections / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000382:microbiology; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D019690:Technetium Tc 99m Exametazime; D013997:Time Factors
D015609:Organotechnetium Compounds; D010091:Oximes; D019690:Technetium Tc 99m Exametazime