The diagnostic performance of (99m)Tc-HMPAO radiolabeled leucocytes scintigraphy in the investigations of infection. A single center experience.

CONCLUSION: The RL-WBC scan (i) is extremely useful in the diagnosis of perigraft tissue infection and osteomyelitis (except for spine) with high rate of sensitivity and specificity (≈90%) when timely used, and (ii) may provide valuable information in patients with fever of unknown origin, inflammatory bowel disease or vague symptoms. False positive results have been noticed mainly due to artifacts, co-existent skeletal lesions or in the early postoperative course because of the nonspecific radionuclide uptake in the healing tissue. On the other hand, false negative results may appear in delayed aortic graft infection, etc. Difficulties arise in the discrimination between infection and sterile inflammatory lesions accompanying atheromatosis or grafts/prostheses. Our experience shows that there should take place a closer co-operation between nuclear medicine physicians and clinicians to ensure the rational selection of the patients that would benefit from this complex diagnostic procedure, in order to get the optimal results concerning in vivo inflammation/abscess visualization. PMID: 26665208 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
Source: Hellenic Journal of Nuclear Medicine - Category: Nuclear Medicine Tags: Hell J Nucl Med Source Type: research