Gallium Scan

 

Indications

1. Useful in the staging and follow up of a variety of neoplasms.
2. Evaluation of Hodgkin’s disease, histiocytic lymphoma, Burkitt’s lymphoma, hepatoma, melanoma, and acute leukemia.
3. May also be useful in other non-Hodgkin’s lymphomas, testicular carcinoma, mesothelioma, and carcinoma of the lung.
4. Detection of occult intra-abdominal infection.
5. Non-oncologic, pulmonary applications include early recognition of opportunistic infection, assessment of treatment in sarcoidosis, staging of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, distinguishing pulmonary infarction from infection.
6. Useful adjunct to bone scanning in the detection of osteomyelitis and joint infection.
7. Renal and perirenal infection can also be recognized with high sensitivity.

Radiopharmaceutical

• 2-9 mCi 67-gallium citrate IV

Patient Preparation

• When possible the patient should be put on a liquid diet for the duration of the examination. Laxatives need to be given the night before the scan. The patient should receive an enema the morning of the scan.

Procedure

1. The patient is injected intravenously.
2. Obtain Static images at 24, 48, and 72 hours post injection.
3. Areas imaged are head, neck, chest, abdomen, and pelvis.
4. Observe the suggestions for patient preparation before each day’s imaging.
5. Whole body imaging may be necessary.

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