Clinical Value of Gallium-67 Scintigraphy in Evaluation of Fever of Unknown Origin

• Published in: Clinical infectious diseases Vol. 18; no. 4; pp. 601 - 605
• Main Authors: Knockaert, D. C., Mortelmans, L. A., De Roo, M. C., Bobbaers, H. J.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Chicago, IL The University of Chicago Press 01-04-1994; University of Chicago Press
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Biological and medical sciences; Clinical Infectious Disease Articles; Computerized axial tomography; Fever; Fever of unknown origin; Fever of Unknown Origin - diagnosis; Fever of Unknown Origin - diagnostic imaging; Gallium; Gallium Radioisotopes; General aspects; Humans; Imaging; Infection - diagnosis; Infection - diagnostic imaging; Infection pathogenesis; Infections; Infectious diseases; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Neoplasms - diagnosis; Neoplasms - diagnostic imaging; Radionuclide Imaging; Retrospective Studies; Sarcoidosis; Tumors; Ultrasonography; Radionuclide study; Performance evaluation; Human; Gallium; Diagnosis; Scintigraphy; Fever
• ISSN: 1058-4838; 1537-6591
• DOI: 10.1093/clinids/18.4.601

This report describes the diagnostic contribution of gallium-67 scintigraphy in 145 cases of fever of unknown origin (FUO) at University Hospital in Leuven, Belgium, in 1980–1989. A final diagnosis was established in 99 (68%) of the 145 cases. Sixty-three scans (43%) were normal, and 82 (57%) were abnormal; only 42 of the abnormal scans (29% of the total number of scans) were considered helpful in diagnosis. Thus 49% of the abnormal scans were considered noncontributory to the diagnosis. In the same population, 15 (6%) of 266 ultrasonograms and 32 (14%) of 233 computed tomograms were helpful in diagnosis. We conclude that gallium scintigraphy remains a valuable screening tool in the investigation of FUO: it yielded diagnostic information in 29% of cases in which the probability of a definitive diagnosis was only 68%. We suggest the use of gallium scintigraphy as a second-step (as opposed to a last-resort) procedure in the evaluation of FUO.