The significance of gallium<sup>67</sup> scan in miliary tuberculosis.

Kim, Hyung In; Jin, Choon Jo; Yong, Suk Joong; Shin, Kye Chul

doi:1993.40.5.558

Tuberc Respir Dis > Volume 40(5); 1993 > Article

Original Article

Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases 1993;40(5):558-564.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.4046/trd.1993.40.5.558 Published online October 1, 1993.

The significance of gallium⁶⁷ scan in miliary tuberculosis.

Hyung In Kim¹, Choon Jo Jin¹, Suk Joong Yong², Kye Chul Shin²

¹Department of Internal Medicine, College of Konkuk University, Seoul, Korea
²Department of Internal Medicine, Wonju College of Medicine, Yonsei University, Wonju, Korea

Abstract

Background
Gallium scans was used clinically for detection of inflammatory lesion, granulomatous process and neoplasm and inflammatory activity in interstitial disease. So we had performed Ga⁶⁷ scan to see the finding of Ga⁶⁷ scan in miliary tuberculosis and to correlate Ga⁶⁷ uptake with that of the chest P A and the clinical severity.
Methods
We examined 10 patients who were confirmed as having miliary tuberculosis, with Ga⁶⁷ scan, chest P A and arterial blood gas analysis.
Results
1) Diffuse, positive gallium uptake was seen in all cases of miliary tuberculosis 2) In most of cases, gallium uptake was noted only at the lung field in spite of hematogenous spread of tuberculous foci. 3) The strong correlation between chest PA and Ga⁶⁷ scan finding was seen 4) The intimate correlation between arterial hypoxemia and Ga⁶⁷ scan finding was also noted.
Conclusion
Gallium scan showed diffuse pulmonary uptake in all cases of miliary tuberculosis and it may provide a useful information to assess the disease severity in miliary tuberculosis.

Key Words: Miliary tuberculosis, Gallium scan, Chest PA, Hypoxemia