Sodium pertechnetate /sup 99m/Tc scan: an aid in the evaluation of gastrointestinal bleeding

Journal Article · Tue Jul 01 04:00:00 EDT 1975 · Pediatrics; (United States)

OSTI ID:7240308

Ho, J E; Konieczny, K M

Twenty pediatric patients presenting primarily unexplained gastrointestinal bleeding were evaluated with sodium pertechnetate Tc-99m imaging. Three patients had normal barium enemas and scans consistent with Meckel's diverticulum. These three patients and three additional patients with normal scans underwent surgical exploration. Meckel's diverticula containing gastric mucosa were found in all three patients with positive scans. No diverticula were found in the three patients with normal scans. Four other patients had scans that were considered abnormal but not felt to represent Meckel's diverticula. In one of these patients a radiographic gastrointestinal study performed after the scan demonstrated a large duodenal ulcer. In another patient, a nonspecific terminal ilial ulcer without gastric mucosa was found at surgery. The two other patients had normal radiographic gastrointestinal studies and no further evaluation was carried out. The etiology of gastrointestinal bleeding in pediatric patients is frequently unexplained even after thorough evaluation including celiotomy. The sodium pertechnetate Tc-99m scan is a safe, simple, non-invasive procedure that can demonstrate Meckel's diverticula with greater certainty than the barium enema and can suggest suspicious areas that can then be evaluated by more definitive procedures.

• Research Organization: St. Louis Univ.
• OSTI ID: 7240308
• Journal Information: Pediatrics; (United States), Journal Name: Pediatrics; (United States) Vol. 56:1; ISSN PEDIA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

550601* -- Medicine-- Unsealed Radionuclides in Diagnostics
62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE
ANIMALS
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
CHILDREN
COUNTING TECHNIQUES
DIAGNOSIS
DIAGNOSTIC TECHNIQUES
DIGESTIVE SYSTEM
DISEASES
GASTROINTESTINAL TRACT
HEMORRHAGE
HOURS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
INTERMEDIATE MASS NUCLEI
ISOMERIC NUCLEI
ISOMERIC TRANSITION ISOTOPES
ISOTOPES
MAMMALS
MAN
NUCLEI
ODD-EVEN NUCLEI
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PATHOLOGICAL CHANGES
PATIENTS
PERTECHNETATES
PRIMATES
RADIOISOTOPE SCANNING
RADIOISOTOPES
SCINTISCANNING
SYMPTOMS
TECHNETIUM 99
TECHNETIUM COMPOUNDS
TECHNETIUM ISOTOPES
TRANSITION ELEMENT COMPOUNDS
VERTEBRATES
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES