title: Usefulness of scintigraphy with Tc-99m phytate for the diagnosis of alcoholic foamy degeneration.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Alcoholic foamy degeneration (AFD) is a liver disease causing temporary hepatocyte dysfunction. The prognosis is usually good, but liver biopsy is needed for diagnosis. We report the usefulness of liver-spleen scintigraphy with the radiocolloid Tc-99m phytate for the diagnosis of AFD.
  
  
  METHODS
  We used liver scintigraphy with Tc-99m phytate to study three patients with AFD diagnosed on the basis of findings from a liver biopsy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Liver-spleen scintigraphy showed hepatomegaly and splenomegaly, and bone marrow was visible, but radioisotope uptake by the liver was uniform.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This pattern of scintigraphic findings is different from that reported for patients with alcoholic fatty livers or severe alcoholic hepatitis, and seems to be specific for AFD.
authors.affiliation: Third Department of Internal Medicine, Osaka City University Medical School, Osaka, Japan.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Shiomi
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Sasaki
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yokogawa
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kawada
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sakaguchi
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nakajima
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kuroki
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kawabe
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ochi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001706:Biopsy; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005235:Fatty Liver, Alcoholic / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D005260:Female; D006519:Hepatitis, Alcoholic / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006529:Hepatomegaly / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D008108:Liver Diseases, Alcoholic / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D015609:Organotechnetium Compounds; D010833:Phytic Acid; D011379:Prognosis; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D013154:Spleen / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D013163:Splenomegaly / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging
chemical_list: D015609:Organotechnetium Compounds; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; C026177:technetium phytate; D010833:Phytic Acid