technetium-tc-99m-disofenin and Thrombosis

During the intestinal phase of hepatobiliary imaging studies in four patients, unusual small intestinal abnormalities were noted. These findings were correlated with surgery in three patients. Recognition of these patterns gives additional clinical information of significant diagnostic value. Further attention to small intestinal pattern and/or radionuclide evaluation of small intestine is a promising method of noninvasive evaluation of clinically suspected small intestinal infarction and obstruction.

Topics: Adult; Aged; Cholecystitis; Cholelithiasis; Cholestasis, Intrahepatic; Diagnosis, Differential; Female; Humans; Imino Acids; Infarction; Intestinal Diseases; Intestinal Obstruction; Intestinal Perforation; Intestine, Small; Male; Mesenteric Vascular Occlusion; Mesenteric Veins; Middle Aged; Organometallic Compounds; Radionuclide Imaging; Technetium; Technetium Tc 99m Disofenin; Thrombosis

Hepatobiliary imaging with 99mTc diisopropyl iminodiacetic acid was employed serially in a patient with an hepatic allograft, in order to follow the function of the transplant. Initially improving liver uptake and biliary excretion was observed; however, 12 days postoperative with clinical deterioration the scintigrams revealed an absence of uptake ("phantom" liver), due to thrombosis of the hepatic artery related to acute rejection. Hepatobiliary imaging can be helpful in the study of hepatic allografts.

Topics: alpha 1-Antitrypsin Deficiency; Biliary Tract; Child, Preschool; Female; Graft Rejection; Hepatic Artery; Humans; Imino Acids; Liver; Liver Transplantation; Radionuclide Imaging; Technetium; Technetium Tc 99m Disofenin; Thrombosis; Time Factors; Transplantation, Homologous