Correlative imaging in abdominal infection: an algorithmic approach using nuclear medicine, ultrasound, and computed tomography

Journal Article · Sat Oct 01 00:00:00 EDT 1988 · Semin. Nucl. Med.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/S0001-2998(88)80041-2· OSTI ID:6499423

Gagliardi, P D; Hoffer, P B; Rosenfield, A T

A wide variety of focal and diffuse infectious processes involve the abdomen. At one extreme are diseases such as pyelonephritis, cystitis, and pelvic inflammatory disease, conditions usually diagnosed without imaging studies and treated without complications. At the other extreme are abdominal abscesses, which may defy clinical diagnosis, are associated with significant morbidity and mortality, and may remain undetected or insufficiently characterized in spite of multiple imaging studies. The limited diagnostic value of clinical evaluation and plain film radiography in abscess detection has lead to widespread use of sophisticated imaging techniques including Gallium-67 (67Ga) scintigraphy, Indium-111 WBC (111In-WBC) scintigraphy, computed tomography (CT), and ultrasonography (US). Abdominal abscesses occur in a wide variety of anatomic sites, may involve any abdominal organ system, and have a number of different causes. The heterogeneity of the disease process and the varying capabilities of the different imaging techniques (with respect to site and organ system) make reliance on a single technique undesirable. An algorithmic approach using 67Ga or 111In-WBC scintigraphy, CT, and US provides a logical and clinically practical approach to complicated abdominal infection. By recognizing differences in clinical presentation and by appreciating the diagnostic strengths and weaknesses of nuclear medicine, CT, and US, the algorithm provides a reliable and direct route to accurate diagnosis while minimizing unnecessary examinations.

• Research Organization: Yale Univ. School of Medicine, New Haven, CT (USA)
• OSTI ID: 6499423
• Journal Information: Semin. Nucl. Med.; (United States), Vol. 18:4
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE
ABDOMEN
IMAGE PROCESSING
DIAGNOSTIC TECHNIQUES
COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS
DIGESTIVE SYSTEM DISEASES
DIAGNOSIS
ABSCESSES
ALGORITHMS
CITRATES
COMPUTERIZED TOMOGRAPHY
GALLIUM 67
INDIUM 111
LEUKOCYTES
NEPHRITIS
SCINTISCANNING
ULTRASONOGRAPHY
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BIOLOGICAL MATERIALS
BLOOD
BLOOD CELLS
BODY
BODY AREAS
BODY FLUIDS
CARBOXYLIC ACID SALTS
COUNTING TECHNIQUES
DAYS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
DISEASES
ELECTRON CAPTURE RADIOISOTOPES
GALLIUM ISOTOPES
INDIUM ISOTOPES
INTERMEDIATE MASS NUCLEI
ISOMERIC TRANSITION ISOTOPES
ISOTOPES
MATERIALS
MATHEMATICAL LOGIC
MINUTES LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
NUCLEI
ODD-EVEN NUCLEI
PATHOLOGICAL CHANGES
PROCESSING
RADIOISOTOPE SCANNING
RADIOISOTOPES
TOMOGRAPHY
UROGENITAL SYSTEM DISEASES
550601* - Medicine- Unsealed Radionuclides in Diagnostics
550602 - Medicine- External Radiation in Diagnostics- (1980-)
550600 - Medicine