Abdominal tuberculosis diagnosed on Gallium scintigraphy in a child with pyrexia of unknown origin

We report a case of an eleven year old girl with pyrexia of unknown origin whose illness remained undiagnosed after extensive investigations. We were able to localize the disease to abdomen with a Gallium Whole Body Scan. In the background of a history of tuberculosis in a family member in an endemic area, empirical anti-tuberculosis treatment was given with clinical success that was also demonstrated on a repeat Gallium scan four months later

Pulmonary aerosol clearance studies of persons exposed to air pollution from burning oil wells in Kuwait

The integrity of the pulmonary epithelial membrane can be altered by certain acute or chronic pulmonary conditions, such as cigarette smoking, inhalation of toxicants, alveolitis, adult respiratory distress syndrome and hyaline membrane diseases. Most of these conditions can cause an increase in the clearance rate of Tc-99m DTPA aerosols. The aim of this study was to evaluate the integrity of the pulmonary epithelial membrane by using Tc-99m DTPA aerosol clearance rates in persons who inhaled the smoke from the burning oil wells in Kuwait. Four groups of 60 smokers [S] and non-smokers [NS], viz, oil field workers, residents fully or partially exposed to the oil smoke and new arrivals in Kuwait who were not exposed to the oil smoke were studied. Placed in a sitting position, the subjects inhaled Tc-99m DTPA aerosol for two minutes. Using a [G. E.] gamma camera interfaced with a star computer, and with the subject in a posterior supine position for both lungs, dynamic images [30 sec/frame] were acquired over a thirty minute period. Activity time curves were then generated by fitting a monoexponential equation using the G. E. Starcam computer. The t[1/2] values were calculated from the fitted curve and these are given below in minutes: Oil Field workers [S] [NS] Continuous exposure [S] [NS] Partial exposure [S] [NS] Recent arrivals [S] [NS] 28.6+7-5.3 77.0+7-8.8 26.2+7-5.1 68.3 +/- 8.1 31.1 +/- 5.6 76.6+7-8.8 28.0+7-5.3 72.5+7-8.5 The clearance rate of Tc-99m DTPA aerosols in these subjects would seem to indicate that the inhalation of smoke produced by the burning oil wells in Kuwait did not alter the integrity of the pulmonary epithelial membrane