Localization of Gastrointestinal Bleeding by Cinematic Tc Labeled Red Blood Cell Scan

Received 7/14/2006; revised 8/17/2006; accepted 8/18/2006. For correspondence or reprints contact: Nan-Jing Peng, M.D., Department of Nuclear Medicine, Kaohsiung Veterans General Hospital, 386 Ta-Chung 1st Rosd, Kaohsiung 813, Taiwan, ROC. Tel: (886)7-3422121 ext. 6418, Fax: (886)7-3468234, E-mail: [email protected] Purpose: To evaluate the accuracy of correct localization of gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding by Tc-red blood cell (RBC) scans. Methods: We reviewed our records with 30 patients and 34 positive cinematic RBC scans for GI bleeding from Aug. 1999 to Mar. 2004, and compared with the records from other examinations including panendoscopy, abdominal computed tomography (CT), angiography and colonic scope, and prior surgical procedure were also reviewed, to evaluate the accuracy of our records. Results: Thirty patients with 34 positive cinematic RBC scans were enrolled. Twenty-one of the 30 patients (70%) and 24 of the 34 scans (71%) were successful to localize the bleeding sites by cinematic RBC scans, the accuracy of cinematic RBC scans compared with other examinations or operation was 88% for gastric bleeding, 56% for small intestinal bleeding and 100% for colonic bleeding. Among 30 patients, 5 of 6 patients with recent operation history for GI bleeding were proven that their recurrent bleeding was happened at the formal operation site. Conclusion: The cinematic RBC scans have high accuracy of correct localization of GI bleeding and the operation history of patients is important clue to determine location of bleeding sites.