Scintigraphic diagnosis of gastrointestinal bleeding with 99Tcm-dextran.
Intravenously administered dextran is used clinically as a plasma expander. The aim of this study was to assess the use of 99Tcm-dextran in the diagnosis of gastrointestinal (GI) blood leaks. Twenty-one patients with GI blood loss underwent 99Tcm-dextran scintigraphy, 17 of whom were found to be positive. Pathologic or 99Tcm-RBC (red blood cell) blood pool correlation was possible in 15 cases, while 2 were unconfirmed. No case had a positive 99Tcm-RBC blood pool study and a negative 99Tcm-dextran study. Images obtained with 99Tcm-dextran were generally better than those with 99Tcm-RBC. This agent may have several other advantages over 99Tcm-RBC blood pool and 99Tcm-sulphur colloid scintigraphy for detecting GI blood loss.
Bhatnagar
A
A
Department of Nuclear Medicine, Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Allied Sciences, Delhi, India.
Singh
A K
AK
Lahoti
D
D
Singh
T
T
Chakravarty
S K
SK
Rawat
H
H
Chauhan
U P
UP
Mondal
A
A
D000328:Adult; D003911:Dextrans / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D004912:Erythrocytes; D005260:Female; D006471:Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009780:Occult Blood; D015609:Organotechnetium Compounds / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D012016:Reference Values; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D016698:Technetium Tc 99m Pyrophosphate / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D013671:Technetium Tc 99m Sulfur Colloid
D003911:Dextrans; D015609:Organotechnetium Compounds; C034146:technetium Tc 99m dextran; D013671:Technetium Tc 99m Sulfur Colloid; D016698:Technetium Tc 99m Pyrophosphate