Radionuclide imaging in the nonsurgical treatment of liver and spleen trauma

Journal Article · Thu Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1981 · J. Trauma; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1097/00005373-198105000-00008· OSTI ID:5799204

Lutzker, L G; Chun, K J

As part of evaluation in patients with abdominal trauma severe enough to require hospital admission but not sufficiently severe to warrant immediate surgery, liver-spleen imaging with Tc-99m sulfur coloid was performed in 30 patients in the following age ranges: 10 mo-5 yr (3 patients), 6-10 yr (11), 11-15 yr (7), and 16-40 yr (9). Routine projections by gamma camera were acquired in the anterior, posterior, lateral, anterior oblique, and posterior oblique projections, supplemented with caudally angulated or upright views when indicated. Scintigraphically, there was a linear defect in ten patients, a round, intraparenchymal or wedge defect in 12, and an edge defect in eight. In 24 patients that underwent subsequent studies, the initial image was positive in 21 and equivocal in three. Of the 21 patients, partial resolution of the defects was seen on the images 2 wk to 7 mo following trauma in 14 patients, and nearly complete resolution in 2 wk to 10 mo in nine patients. Complete resolution was seen in 1-13 mo in nine patients. No defects enlarged over time. These authors presented a decision tree for the initial evaluation and subsequent studies in patients with liver-spleen trauma. They feel that consideration of clinical signs and serial liver-spleen imaging can eliminate some surgery when there is a question of delayed or missed splenic rupture.

• Research Organization: Albert Einstein Coll. of Medicine, New York
• OSTI ID: 5799204
• Journal Information: J. Trauma; (United States), Journal Name: J. Trauma; (United States) Vol. 21; ISSN JOTRA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

550602* -- Medicine-- External Radiation in Diagnostics-- (1980-)
62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BODY
CAMERAS
COUNTING TECHNIQUES
DIAGNOSIS
DIAGNOSTIC TECHNIQUES
DIGESTIVE SYSTEM
GAMMA CAMERAS
GLANDS
HOURS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
INJURIES
INTERMEDIATE MASS NUCLEI
ISOMERIC NUCLEI
ISOMERIC TRANSITION ISOTOPES
ISOTOPES
LIVER
NUCLEI
ODD-EVEN NUCLEI
ORGANS
PATIENTS
RADIOISOTOPE SCANNING
RADIOISOTOPES
SCINTISCANNING
SPLEEN
TECHNETIUM 99
TECHNETIUM ISOTOPES
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES