SCINTIGRAPHIC DETECTION OF AN OCCULT BLEED INTO A RETROPERITONEAL MASS USING TC-99M LABELED RED-BLOOD-CELLS

A 45-year-old man with chronic lymphocytic leukemia and a retroperiton eal mass underwent Tc-99m labeled red blood cell bleeding imaging to l ocalize a bleeding source. The bleeding scan showed a linear accumulat ion of radiotracer obliquely oriented along the left upper epigastrium to the right midepigastrium, This area of uptake increased in intensi ty and assumed a more globular appearance throughout the study, but di d not change in location. This is the pattern of a retroperitoneal ble ed resulting from active hemorrhage into the retroperitoneal mass.