Less may be as good as more: feasible and effective method to differentiate gastric uptake solely on planar gallium scan in the era of SPECT/CT

Clin Nucl Med. 2013 Jul;38(7):557-9. doi: 10.1097/RLU.0b013e318292ee82.

Abstract

We presented a patient with abnormal focal accumulation of 67Ga in the left upper abdomen. After drinking water, we successfully identified the abnormal radioactivity that was from the stomach. Subsequent endoscopic examination did not reveal gastric pathological condition. Gastric accumulation of 67Ga may relate to pathological conditions or physiological uptake, confounding interpretation of 67Ga scintigraphy. Simple water ingestion method can rapidly identify gastric 67Ga uptake, and the shape of distended stomach can also help to differentiate pathological conditions from physiological uptake, which is especially helpful for a busy nuclear medicine department and for places where the SPECT/CT systems are not available.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Endoscopy, Digestive System
  • Feasibility Studies
  • Gallium Radioisotopes
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Stomach / diagnostic imaging*
  • Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon*
  • Tomography, X-Ray Computed*

Substances

  • Gallium Radioisotopes