Uptake of gallium-67 citrate in clean surgical incisions after colorectal surgery.
Non-specific accumulation of gallium-67 citrate (gallium) in uncomplicated surgical incisions is not uncommon. It is important to know the normal pattern of gallium uptake at surgical incision sites in order to properly interpret the gallium scan when investigating possible wound infection in patients who have undergone abdominal surgery. We studied 42 patients without wound infection after colorectal surgery and performed gallium scans within 40 days after surgery. Patients were divided into three groups according to the interval between the operation and the scan. In group A (26 patients) gallium scan was performed within 7 days after surgery, in group B (8 patients) between 8 and 14 days after surgery, and in group C (8 patients) between 15 and 40 days after surgery. Our data showed that in group A, 61.5% had gallium accumulation at the surgical incision site. In group B, 50% had accumulation of gallium at the surgical incision site, while in group C only one patient (12.5%) showed gallium uptake. It is concluded that the incidence of increased gallium uptake at clean surgical incision sites is high after colorectal surgery. Nuclear medicine physicians should bear in mind the high incidence of non-specific gallium uptake at such sites during the interpretation of possible wound infection in patients after colorectal surgery.
Lin
W Y
WY
Department of Nuclear Medicine, Taichung Veterans General Hospital, 160 Taichung Harbor Road, Section 3, Taichung 407, Taiwan. wylin@vghtc.vghtc.gov.tw
Tsai
S C
SC
Chao
T H
TH
Wang
S J
SJ
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002951:Citrates / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D003106:Colon / Q000601:surgery*; D013505:Digestive System Surgical Procedures; D005260:Female; D005708:Gallium / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D005710:Gallium Radioisotopes; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D012007:Rectum / Q000601:surgery*; D013530:Surgical Wound Infection / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*
D002951:Citrates; D005710:Gallium Radioisotopes; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D005708:Gallium; C103850:gallium citrate