title: Determination of spleen size by scintigraphy.
abstract: Methods for determining spleen size in vivo have many clinical applications. Spleen size can be estimated accurately in vivo from measurements of length (L) and width (W) of the spleen silhouette as visualized by a scintillation camera after administration of technetium-99m (99mTc) sulfur colloid to the patient. Assuming mass and volume are proportional, spleen weight will depend on (L x W)3/2. Estimates of spleen size using these parameters obtained from scintigraphs were compared to actual determinations following splenectomy. Within the range of observations, the method had a standard deviation of 45 grams. It is safe, fast, and inexpensive.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, California, USA.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Silverman
authors.forename: G L
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: DeNardo
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Siegel
mesh_terms: D006689:Hodgkin Disease / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D009929:Organ Size; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013154:Spleen / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D013156:Splenectomy; D013163:Splenomegaly / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D013671:Technetium Tc 99m Sulfur Colloid / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D013671:Technetium Tc 99m Sulfur Colloid