ABNORMAL GA-67 SKULL UPTAKE - A SIGN OF PERIPHERAL MARROW ACTIVATION IN HIV-POSITIVE PATIENTS WITH DISSEMINATED MYCOBACTERIOSES

The purpose of this study was to investigate the significance of abnor mal Ga-67-citrate skull uptake in AIDS patients with mycobacterioses. Methods: Gallium-67 scans of 39 HIV-positive patients who had been dia gnosed with mycobacterioses were analyzed; the scans of 15 consecutive HIV-positive patients without mycobacterioses were also reviewed as a control group. The skull was chosen to assess bone marrow uptake beca use of the absence of overlapping structures. Results: Twenty-nine of 39 (74%) patients with mycobacterial infections had disseminated disea se. Gallium-67 uptake in the skull was visualized in 24 of these 29 pa tients (82%). One of the patients without disseminated disease and one patient in the control group (n = 15) showed skull uptake. Conclusion : Abnormal Ga-67 skull uptake appears to be a sensitive (82%) and spec ific (92%) indicator of disseminated mycobacterial infection in HIV-po sitive patients.