Gallium 67 scanning for the diagnosis of infection in children
F. Cox and W. T. Hughes
Gallium 67 scintigraphy was studied prospectively in 26 children with
clinically suspected abscesses. Scan interpretation agreed with the
clinical outcome in 21 patients (81%). The true-negative rate was 71% and
the true-positive rate was 92%. False-positive scans were related to
bleeding and bone infarcts. False-negative scans were related to
neutropenia (less than 500 neutrophils/cu mm) and to lesions smaller than 1
cm. Gallium scanning is a safe and reliable method of diagnosis of
infection in children, except for patients with neutropenia or whose
lesions are smaller than 1 cm. Two-hour scans may be useful in some
patients, particularly those with osteomyelitis.
