technetium-tc-99m-sulfur-colloid and Pancreatitis

The interaction between the various noninvasive and invasive imaging modalities used to evaluate the liver, biliary tract, and pancreas is demonstrated in this article. By understanding this interaction and correlating noninvasive studies, the clinician will avoid diagnostic redundancy and the need for invasive testing may be reduced.

Topics: Adenocarcinoma; Biliary Tract Diseases; Biopsy, Needle; Cholangiography; Cholecystectomy; Cholelithiasis; Cholestasis; Diagnosis, Differential; Hepatectomy; Humans; Liver; Liver Diseases; Liver Neoplasms; Pancreatic Diseases; Pancreatic Neoplasms; Pancreatitis; Radionuclide Imaging; Spleen; Technetium Tc 99m Sulfur Colloid; Tomography, X-Ray Computed; Ultrasonography

This is a case report of a patient with an initial diagnosis of chronic pancreatitis who actually had metastatic carcinoid tumor. His symptoms of abdominal pain, weight loss, and diarrhea were manifestations of the large tumor bulk within the liver as well as carcinoid syndrome. Although abdominal CT scans showed multiple liver lesions, the primary lesion was not identified by conventional imaging studies. However, the mid-gut primary lesion was visualized on in-111 labeled octreotide scintigraphy; where the liver lesions were better delineated and seen to be separate from the normal pancreas when the Tc-99m sulfur colloid images were compared to the octreotide images.

Topics: Abdominal Pain; Adult; Antineoplastic Agents, Hormonal; Carcinoid Tumor; Chronic Disease; Diagnosis, Differential; Diarrhea; Humans; Indium Radioisotopes; Intestinal Neoplasms; Liver Neoplasms; Male; Malignant Carcinoid Syndrome; Octreotide; Pancreatitis; Radionuclide Imaging; Technetium Tc 99m Sulfur Colloid; Weight Loss