GALLIUM SCANNING IN THE NEW TUBERCULOSIS

Purpose: To evaluate the findings and usefulness of Ga-67 scanning in recent cases of tuberculosis (TB), Materials and Methods: The authors reviewed chest x-ray films and Ga-67 citrate scans of 52 patients with culture-confirmed infection caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis trea ted after 1988. Results: Ga-67 scans were positive in every case, deli neating upper lobe lung lesions in 6 patients, diffuse involvement or lower lobe disease in 34 patients, and intrathoracic adenopathy in 15 patients, Pulmonary parenchymal lesions were not detected on x-ray fil ms in 3 patients, and nodal lesions were not apparent in 3 patients, I n addition, in 6 patients cervical adenopathy was detected by Ga-67 sc intigraphy; 4 underwent biopsy with culture confirmation. Conclusions: Ga-67 scanning is more sensitive than routine chest radiography for d etection of both TB parenchymal lung involvement and adenopathy, Ga-67 imaging facilitates the choice of biopsy sites by identifying accessi ble peripheral nodes, Typical patterns in recent cases of TB differ si gnificantly from the upper lobe predilection of classical TB.