SCINTIGRAPHIC VISUALIZATION OF ACUTE-PANCREATITIS IN CATS WITH TC(M)-99-CITRATE

The accumulation of Tc-99m-citrate in abscesses and arthritic joints h as previously been demonstrated. In the present study its usefulness w as evaluated in 10 mongrel cats with acute pancreatitis induced by met ronidazole infusion. Five cats, used as normal controls, were given ph ysiological saline. All 15 cats were injected intravenously with 185 M Bq Tc-99m-citrate. Scintigrams were obtained at 30 min intervals up to 2 h after injection by a gamma camera. The cats were then sacrificed. Tissue samples were obtained, weighed and counted against a 1/1000 di lution of the injected dose. In normal cats the kidneys and the urinar y bladder were the only organs that could be visualized. In acute panc reatitis the pancreas and its exudate in the abdomen were also evident on the images. The pancreas to other neighbouring organ ratios increa sed 2.3-9.7 fold in acute pancreatitis compared to normal controls. Gr oss autoradiograms showed localization of radioactivity in the lobules of pancreas. Histologic examination of sections of pancreas demonstra ted oedema, haemorrhage and some fat necrosis in pancreatic parenchyma , confirming acute pancreatitis. In conclusion, it has been demonstrat ed that acute pancreatitis in cats can be visualized scintigraphically with Tc-99m-citrate.