title: Indium-111 leucocyte scintigraphy and ultrasound scanning in the detection of intra-abdominal abscesses in patients without localizing signs.
abstract: The clinical records of 45 patients with suspected intra-abdominal sepsis but without localizing abdominal signs were retrospectively reviewed. All had undergone both indium-111 leucocyte scintigraphy and real time ultrasound. Twenty-two of the 45 patients were subsequently shown to have intra-abdominal abscesses. Twenty-one patients were identified correctly by indium-111 scintigraphy (sensitivity 95%) and 10 by ultrasound (US: sensitivity 45%). There were two false positive scintiscans (specificity 91%) but no false positive US scans (specificity 100%). There was no correlation between the peripheral white cell count and the presence of absence of an abscess or the likelihood of obtaining a positive scintiscan result. Because of the excellent specificity ultrasound scanning should remain the initial investigations in this group of critically ill patients with indium-111 scintigraphy being used to clarify the US findings or in US negative patients.
authors.affiliation: University Department of Surgery, Royal Infirmary, Alexandra Parade, Glasgow, UK.
authors.forename: C R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Carter
authors.forename: J H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: McKillop
authors.forename: H W
authors.initials: HW
authors.lastname: Gray
authors.forename: I S
authors.initials: IS
authors.lastname: Stewart
authors.forename: J R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Anderson
mesh_terms: D018784:Abdominal Abscess / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006801:Humans; D007205:Indium Radioisotopes; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014463:Ultrasonography
chemical_list: D007205:Indium Radioisotopes