Radiolabeled leukocyte imaging in inflammatory bowel disease: a prospective blinded evaluation.
OBJECTIVE
Nuclear medicine scintigraphies have been reported to assist in making the diagnosis of inflammatory bowel disease. This work aimed to assess the role of radiolabeled leukocyte scintigraphy for the diagnosis of suspected inflammatory bowel disease.


METHODS
Forty-six adult patients were referred for labeled leukocyte scintigraphy for the evaluation of active abdominal pain. The patient population included inpatients and outpatients, with known or suspected inflammatory bowel disease. The nuclear medicine staff was blinded to the patient's specific complaints.


RESULTS
The labeled leukocyte scintigraphy was positive in 11 of the 15 patients eventually determined to have Crohn's disease. Four of the 15 were false negatives. All four of the ulcerative colitis patients had normal scans. There were no false-positive scans. The positive predictive value was thus 100%, the negative predictive value was 77%, and the sensitivity and specificity were 58% and 100% respectively for Crohn's disease.


CONCLUSIONS
We found radiolabeled leukocyte scintigraphy helpful in prospective, blinded assessments of patients with non-stricturizing or non-fistulizing forms of Crohn's disease. Scintigraphy may be more justified for reassessments rather than in making an initial diagnosis. The scans were of value in Crohn's disease but not for ulcerative colitis.
Department of Gastroenterology, Technion Israel Institute of Technology, Rambam Medical Center, Haifa, Israel. ramila@netvision.net.il
Jesse
J
Lachter
Hillel Noah
HN
Isseroff
Kamel
K
Yasin
Zohar
Z
Keidar
Ora
O
Israel
D000328:Adult; D003093:Colitis, Ulcerative / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D003424:Crohn Disease / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007962:Leukocytes / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D008297:Male; D015609:Organotechnetium Compounds; D010091:Oximes; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D019690:Technetium Tc 99m Exametazime
D015609:Organotechnetium Compounds; D010091:Oximes; D019690:Technetium Tc 99m Exametazime