Gallium Scan

Indications

• Useful in the staging and follow up of a variety of neoplasms.
• Evaluation of Hodgkin's disease, histiocytic lymphoma, Burkitt's lymphoma, hepatoma, melanoma, and acute leukemia.
• May also be useful in other non-Hodgkin's lymphomas, testicular carcinoma, mesothelioma, and carcinoma of the lung.
• Detection of occult intra-abdominal infection.
• 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.
• Useful adjunct to bone scanning in the detection of osteomyelitis and joint infection.
• 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

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