Pancreas transplants: Evaluation using perfusion scintigraphy

Journal Article · Sat Jul 01 00:00:00 EDT 1989 · AJR, Am. J. Roentgenol.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2214/ajr.153.1.57· OSTI ID:5931744

Kuni, C C; du Cret, R P; Boudreau, R J

To determine the value of scintigraphic perfusion studies in evaluating pancreas transplant patients, we reviewed 56 of these studies in 22 patients who had 27 transplants. Seventeen patients underwent two or more studies. The perfusion studies were performed with 20 mCi (740 MBq) of 99mTc-DTPA injected as a bolus followed by eight to 16 serial 2-sec images and a 500,000-count immediate static image. Images were evaluated for (1) the time and intensity of pancreatic peak radioactivity relative to the time and intensity of the iliac arterial peak; (2) relative pancreatic to iliac arterial intensity on the static image; and (3) size, homogeneity, and definition of the pancreas. Clinical diagnoses at the time of scintigraphy of normal function (n = 36), rejection (n = 13), pancreatitis (n = 6), or arterial thrombosis (n = 1) were based on insulin requirement, urine amylase, serum glucose, serum amylase, response to therapy, cultures, CT, MR, sonography, scintigraphy with 67Ga or 111In-WBCs, percutaneous drainage results, angiography, surgery, and pathologic examination of resected transplants. Three 99mTc-DTPA perfusion studies showed no pancreatic perfusion, four showed decreasing perfusion on serial studies, and five showed progressive loss of definition of the pancreas on serial studies. Of the three patients with no detectable perfusion, one had a normally functioning transplant, one had arterial thrombosis with transplant infarction, and one had severe rejection with minimal function. Decreasing perfusion was associated with rejection in three patients and pancreatitis in one. Decreasing definition was seen in four patients with rejection and one with pancreatitis. We conclude that perfusion scintigraphy is useful, primarily when performed serially, although nonspecific for evaluating pancreas transplants.

• Research Organization: Univ. of Minnesota Hospital and Clinics, Minneapolis (USA)
• OSTI ID: 5931744
• Journal Information: AJR, Am. J. Roentgenol.; (United States), Vol. 153:1
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE
PANCREAS
TRANSPLANTS
SCINTISCANNING
EVALUATION
ALANINES
DTPA
GALLIUM 67
GRAFT-HOST REACTION
INDIUM 111
ISOMERIC NUCLEI
MAN
PATIENTS
PERFUSED ORGANS
TECHNETIUM 99
AMINO ACIDS
ANIMALS
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BODY
CARBOXYLIC ACIDS
CHELATING AGENTS
COUNTING TECHNIQUES
DAYS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
DIAGNOSTIC TECHNIQUES
DIGESTIVE SYSTEM
DRUGS
ELECTRON CAPTURE RADIOISOTOPES
ENDOCRINE GLANDS
GALLIUM ISOTOPES
GLANDS
HOURS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
INDIUM ISOTOPES
INTERMEDIATE MASS NUCLEI
ISOMERIC TRANSITION ISOTOPES
ISOTOPES
MAMMALS
MINUTES LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
NUCLEI
ODD-EVEN NUCLEI
ORGANIC ACIDS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANS
PRIMATES
RADIOISOTOPE SCANNING
RADIOISOTOPES
RADIOPROTECTIVE SUBSTANCES
TECHNETIUM ISOTOPES
VERTEBRATES
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
550601* - Medicine- Unsealed Radionuclides in Diagnostics