The role of preoperative Tc-99m HMPAO-labeled leukocyte total-body scans in aortic prosthetic reconstruction.
OBJECTIVE
This study was performed to evaluate the utility of Tc-99m HMPAO-labeled leukocyte total-body scans (TBLS) for detecting remote septic foci before operation in patients undergoing aortofemoral vascular surgery.


METHODS
Fifty-eight patients were screened before operation for inflammatory or infective disease, and a clinical score was assigned to each patient. Each patient had TBLSs. The relation between the clinical score and the TBLS result was determined. Patients with positive results of the TBLSs were examined, and the causes of these findings were treated before surgery.


RESULTS
Ten of the 58 (17%) patients had a positive result of TBLSs. Of 31 patients with a clinical score of zero, 3 had positive findings of TBLS. No TBLS was positive in the 13 patients with a clinical score of 1. TBLS findings were positive in 7 of 14 of the combined patients with clinical scores of 2, 3, or 4. None of the patients showed signs of prosthetic vascular graft infection during the postoperative follow-up period.


CONCLUSIONS
In conclusion, TBLSs can be used before aortofemoral vascular surgery, but only in patients with high clinical scores for inflammatory or infective disease to identify relevant infective foci that could cause vascular graft infection.
Liberatore
M
M
Department of Experimental Medicine and Pathology, University of Rome La Sapienza, Rome, Italy. maurlib@tin.it
Fiore
V
V
Iurilli
A P
AP
Santini
C
C
Baiocchi
P
P
Galiè
M
M
Schioppa
A
A
Rizzo
L
L
Fiorani
P
P
D000368:Aged; D017544:Aortic Aneurysm, Abdominal / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery; D017545:Aortic Aneurysm, Thoracic / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery; D019917:Blood Vessel Prosthesis Implantation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007962:Leukocytes; D008297:Male; D011300:Preoperative Care; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D019690:Technetium Tc 99m Exametazime
D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D019690:Technetium Tc 99m Exametazime