title: Application of radioisotope renography with technetium-99m mercaptoacetyltriglycine on patients with spinal cord injuries.
abstract: The effectiveness of radioisotope renography with Technetium-99m (Tc-99m) mercaptoacetyltriglycine (MAG3) to provide possible routine urological follow-up was evaluated for the spinal cord injury (SCI) population. Sixty-six SCI patients were examined with radioisotope renography and renal ultrasonography. Excretory urography was done on 46 patients and voiding cystourethrography was done on 46 patients and voiding cystourethrography was done on 59 patients. The time-activity curve patterns of renography were classified into six groups. Curves A were normal. Curves B and C showed various excretion delay but normal effective renal plasma flow (ERPF). Curves D, E, and F showed definite decreased ERPF and excretion delay of different severity. The respective incidence of upper urinary tract complications were 12.0% (10/83) for A, 68.2% (15/22) for B, 100% (4/4) for C, 100% (8/8) for D, 100% (11/11) for E, and 100% (4/4) for F curves. The sensitivity of radioisotope renography was 83.9%, and the specificity was 92.0% in detecting the upper urinary tract complications. There was no adverse effect after 80 renography examinations on 66 SCI patients. As excretion delay occurred in the earlier stage of renal dysfunction, followed by decrease of ERPF, the abnormal time-activity curves can be sensitive indicators to subject SCI patients with early renal deterioration for further urodynamic and morphological studies. For patients with normal renograms, conventional uroradiological studies are not recommended because they are more invasive, cumbersome, and have more side effects as well as higher radiation exposure. We found that radioisotope renography with Tc-99m MAG3 is a safe, noninvasive, sensitive, and valuable urological screening test for SCI patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Taichung Rehabilitation Hospital, Taiwan.
authors.forename: L I
authors.initials: LI
authors.lastname: Bih
authors.forename: S P
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Changlai
authors.forename: C C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Ho
authors.forename: S P
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000379:methods; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011866:Radioisotope Renography; D017595:Renal Plasma Flow; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000150:complications*; D017263:Technetium Tc 99m Mertiatide; D013997:Time Factors; D014563:Urodynamics; D014570:Urologic Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology
chemical_list: D017263:Technetium Tc 99m Mertiatide