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Technetium-99m-HMPAO-Labeled Leukocytes and Technetium-99m-Labeled Human Polyclonal Immunoglobulin G in Diagnosis of Focal Purulent Disease

Clinic of Radiology, Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki
Department of Nuclear Medicine, Päijät-Häme Central Hospital, Lahti
Department of Medicine, Turku University Central Hospital, Turku, Finland

Correspondence: For correspondence and reprints contact: I. Hovi, MD, CIinic of Radiology, Meilahti Clinics, Helsinki University Hospital, Haartmeninkatu 4, SF-00290 Helsinki, Finland.

ABSTRACT

To evaluate the usefulness of ^99mTc-HMPAO-labeled leukocytes and ^99mTc-labeled polyclonal human immunoglobulin G (Technescan HIG) in the diagnosis of focal purulent disease, 31 comparative scintigraphies were done in 30 patients with known or strongly suspected focal infection. Focal purulent disease was the final diagnosis in 19 patients.Technetium-99m-Iabeled leukocytes showed 16 true-positive, no false-positive, 11 true-negative and 3 false-negative findings. The corresponding figures for ^99mTc-labeled HIG were 11, 2, 9 and 8. The sensitivity and specificity of imaging with labeled leukocytes were 84% and 100%, respectively, and with labeled HIG, 58% and 82%, respectively. The overall accuracy of the leukocyte scan was significantly better than that of the HIG scan (90% versus 67%, p < 0.001). Thus, it focal infection is suspected, scintigraphy with ^99mTc-Iabeled leukocytes is the preferable method. No cases exhibited a better imaging result with ^99mTc-HIG scintigraphy than with ^99mTc-labeled leukocytes.