Gallium-67 scintigraphy, bronchoalveolar lavage, and pathologic changes in patients with pulmonary sarcoidosis

Journal Article · Tue May 01 04:00:00 EDT 1984 · Chest; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1378/chest.85.5.650· OSTI ID:6816867

Abe, S; Munakata, M; Nishimura, M; Tsuneta, Y; Terai, T; Nakano, I; Ohsaki, Y; Kawakami, Y

The intensity of gallium-67 scintiscans, lymphocyte counts in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid, and pathologic changes were studied in 26 patients with untreated pulmonary sarcoidosis. Noncaseating granulomas were recognized with significantly greater frequency in stage 2 (80 percent; 8/10 cases) than in stage 1 (43 percent; 6/14 cases). Alveolitis showed little relation to the roentgenographic stage. There was a strong correlation between the intensity of gallium uptake in pulmonary parenchyma and the detection rate of granuloma; however, the detection rate of alveolitis was not statistically different from the intensity of gallium uptake. A highly significant correlation was revealed between the lymphocyte counts in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid and the intensity of alveolitis. These observations suggest that the gallium uptake reflects mainly the presence of granuloma, and the lymphocyte count in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid reflects the intensity of alveolitis in patients with pulmonary sarcoidosis.

• Research Organization: First Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan
• OSTI ID: 6816867
• Journal Information: Chest; (United States), Journal Name: Chest; (United States) Vol. 85:5; ISSN CHETB
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

550601* -- Medicine-- Unsealed Radionuclides in Diagnostics
62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BODY
COUNTING TECHNIQUES
DAYS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
DIAGNOSTIC TECHNIQUES
DISEASES
ELECTRON CAPTURE RADIOISOTOPES
GALLIUM 67
GALLIUM ISOTOPES
GRANULOMAS
INTERMEDIATE MASS NUCLEI
ISOTOPES
LAVAGE
LUNGS
NEOPLASMS
NUCLEI
ODD-EVEN NUCLEI
ORGANS
PATHOLOGICAL CHANGES
PATIENTS
RADIOISOTOPE SCANNING
RADIOISOTOPES
RESPIRATORY SYSTEM
SCINTISCANNING