A. Bhatnagar et al., SCINTIGRAPHIC DIAGNOSIS OF PROTEIN-LOSING ENTEROPATHY USING TC-99M DEXTRAN, Clinical nuclear medicine, 20(12), 1995, pp. 1070-1073
The authors performed abdominal scintigraphy using intravenously admin
istered Tc-99m dextran in a patient with protein losing enteropathy. T
he study revealed abnormal leakage of the radiotracer in the left lumb
er area that moved over time in a pattern suggestive of small intestin
al transit. Besides being a nonprotein and having long stay in intrava
scular compartment, the macromolecule may have many advantages over Tc
-99m human serum albumin, the current radiotracer of choice for imagin
g intestinal protein loss.