Value of hepatic blood pool scanning in differential diganosis of hepatoma and amebic abscess

Choi, K H; Choi, B S; Choi, H J; Park, C Y

Abstract

Liver scanning with radioactive colloids has been widely used as an important method for the diagnosis andlocalization of intrahepatic lesions such as hepatoma, abscess and cyst. Such lesions are seen on the scan asfilling defects, however, this information is nonspecific. Since 1970, Gordon and Cuaron have been using acombined method of liver scanning with radiocolloid first and later with transferrin-bound 113m in and haveobtained improved differential diagnosis between tumors and other filling defects. As a preliminary study, 5patients with primary hepatoma and 5 patients with amebic abscess were studies in an attempt to improvedifferential diagnosis of the two. A liver scan was performed with colloidal 113m ; a few hours later or on thenext day, a second scan was obtained with transferrin-bound 113m In to visualize the vascular bed of liver. In allcases the first scan showed one or more filling defects. The second scan demonstrated increased radioactivityinside the lesion in 3 cases of hepatoma, whereas the increased radioactivity was noted in the periphery of coldarea in 4 cases of amebic abscess. As Gordon and Cuaron have shown, the combined method of liver scanning usingtransferrin-bound 113m In and radiocolloid seems to give increased differential diagnosis of hepatoma and amebicabscess.