Rapid evaluation of acute abdominal pain by hepatobiliary scanning

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
On hundred and eighty-six patients with suspected acute cholecystitis (AC) underwent radionuclide hepatobiliary imaging with 99mTc iprofenin to assess the ability of this tracer to detect AC. After i.v. injection of 5-10 mCi of this agent, 500,000 count anterior images were obtained at 10-min intervals for 60 min. An abnormal hepatobiliary scan (HBS) diagnostic of AC was defined as one in which the common bile duct, but not the gallbladder, visualized within 1 h of tracer administration. In this series, the sensitivity and specificity for HBS in the detection of AC were 97 and 87%, respectively. The hepatobiliary scan should be the procedure of choice for the rapid detection of AC. It is simple, rapid and safe to perform, enabling a diagnosis to be established within 1 h.