Meckel's diverticulum: pitfalls in scintigraphic detection in the adult

Journal Article · Wed Aug 01 04:00:00 EDT 1984 · Am. J. Gastroenterol.; (United States)

OSTI ID:6551498

Schwartz, M J; Lewis, J H

The diagnosis of a bleeding Meckel's diverticulum containing ectopic gastric mucosa by 99m-Tc pertechnetate imaging is reported to have a diagnostic accuracy of 90% for patients in the pediatric age group. The usefulness of Meckel's scanning in adults is, however, less certain. We present two patients who illustrate some of the difficulties inherent in Meckel's scanning in adults; one had a false-negative scan despite the presence of ectopic gastric mucosa and the other had a false-positive scan, both confirmed by laparotomy. The available literature indicates that false-positive and false-negative scans occur relatively frequently in adults, but no comprehensive review on this subject exists. Based on our findings, it is suggested that Meckel's scanning be supplemented with small bowel infusion or arteriography or both to improve preoperative diagnosis in adult patients in whom a diverticulum is suspected.

• Research Organization: Department of Medicine, George Washington University Medical Center, Washington, DC
• OSTI ID: 6551498
• Journal Information: Am. J. Gastroenterol.; (United States), Journal Name: Am. J. Gastroenterol.; (United States) Vol. 79:8; ISSN AJGAA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

550601* -- Medicine-- Unsealed Radionuclides in Diagnostics
62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE
AGE GROUPS
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BODY
COUNTING TECHNIQUES
DIAGNOSIS
DIAGNOSTIC TECHNIQUES
DIGESTIVE SYSTEM
DIGESTIVE SYSTEM DISEASES
DISEASES
ELDERLY PEOPLE
GASTROINTESTINAL TRACT
HOURS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
HUMAN POPULATIONS
INTERMEDIATE MASS NUCLEI
INTESTINES
ISOMERIC NUCLEI
ISOMERIC TRANSITION ISOTOPES
ISOTOPES
MINORITY GROUPS
NUCLEI
ODD-EVEN NUCLEI
ORGANS
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PATIENTS
PERTECHNETATES
POPULATIONS
RADIOISOTOPE SCANNING
RADIOISOTOPES
SCINTISCANNING
SMALL INTESTINE
TECHNETIUM 99
TECHNETIUM COMPOUNDS
TECHNETIUM ISOTOPES
TRANSITION ELEMENT COMPOUNDS
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES