Increased subglottic gallium uptake in relapsing polychondritis.
Gallium scintigraphy was performed on a 14-yr-old girl with subglottic airway narrowing that caused wheezing and dyspnea. The study showed increased gallium uptake in the neck. A biopsy was performed on the subglottic region, and the histology was compatible with relapsing polychondritis. After treatment with steroids, laboratory data that had indicated active inflammation soon normalized. Repeat gallium scintigraphy showed diminished uptake, although the subglottic stenosis did not improve. These results suggest that gallium scintigraphy is valuable for evaluating inflammatory activity in relapsing polychondritis.
Okuyama
C
C
Department of Radiology, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kyoto City, Japan.
Ushijima
Y
Y
Sugihara
H
H
Okitsu
S
S
Ito
H
H
Maeda
T
T
D000293:Adolescent; D002951:Citrates; D005260:Female; D005708:Gallium; D005710:Gallium Radioisotopes; D005931:Glottis; D006801:Humans; D011081:Polychondritis, Relapsing / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D015899:Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon; D014135:Tracheal Stenosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000209:etiology
D002951:Citrates; D005710:Gallium Radioisotopes; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D005708:Gallium; C103850:gallium citrate