Background: 99mTc tetrofosmin is predominantly cleared by the hepatobiliary system and its scan is analogous to a cholescintigraphy. The radiopharmaceutical may be localized in the bone marrow. During cardiac acquisition, when the area being viewed includes the lower thorax and abdomen, abnormalities of the liver, gallbladder and kidneys, and the radioactivity in the oesophagus, stomach and bowel, as well as bone marrow uptake, can be depicted by routine raw data cine images. Excluding the intrathoracic abnormalities, these abdominal abnormalities are illustrated in this paper.
Methods and materials: Retrospectively, we reviewed the raw data cine images from 566 patients. These images were 180 degrees or 360 degrees rotation and showed the abdominal organs and thoracic cage, including the ribs, sternum and spine. We found 234 abnormalities, which were correlated with radiography, laboratory and clinical findings.
Results: Intra-abdominal abnormalities included bone marrow visualization, 93 occurrences (39.7%); duodeno-gastric (DG) and entero-gastric (EG) reflux, 47 (20.1%); non-visualization of the gallbladder, including possible causes of cholelithiasis, acute cholecystitis, or cholecystectomy, 31 (13.2%); elevation of the right diaphragm and depression of diaphragm, 30 (12.8%); renal abnormalities, including absent kidney, renal atrophy and cyst, 12 (5.1%); splenomegaly, 10 (4.3%); liver, including hepatomegaly and cirrhosis of the liver, eight (3.4%); and breast attenuation resulting in photopenia in the liver, three (1.2%).
Conclusions: (1) The bone marrow uptake of the vertebrae accounts for almost 40% of the abdominal abnormalities, and is usually concordant with anaemia; (2) DG and EG refluxes represent 20% of abdominal abnormalities; they may have a clinical impact and may or may not interfere with SPECT processes and result in artifacts of the inferior wall of the left ventricle; (3) non-visualization of the gallbladder should prompt a search for cholelithiasis; and (4) benign renal cyst or cirrhosis of the liver could also be demonstrated. These coincidental findings may be included in routine cardiac SPECT reports that may have clinical impact because they give the referring physician the chance to pursue further clinical investigation.