Impaired gallbladder function in patients after total gastrectomy.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: The incidence of gallstones and gallbladder sludge is higher in patients after total gastrectomy than in general population. Formation of gallstones after gastrectomy is multifactorial. Here, we investigate the changes in gallbladder and biliary tract functions by cholescintygraphy and monitored changes in cholecystokinin (CCK) release in long-term survivors after total gastrectomy for gastric carcinoma. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Patients had undergone total gastrectomy for gastric carcinoma at least five years ago. The final study population consisted of 25 patients. RESULTS: Eight patients had undergone cholecystectomy before or at the time of gastrectomy. Gallstone formation was observed in seven of the remaining 17 patients during follow-up (41%). Maximum uptake of radioactivity and gallbladder maximum uptake was significantly delayed in the gastrectomy group than in the control group. There was no significant difference in CCK levels after the overnight fasting and at 60 minutes after stimulation among patients with or without stones in situ compared with healthy volunteers, but 30 minutes after the energy-rich drink patients had higher CCK levels than the control group. CONCLUSIONS: In gastrectomy patients, technetium isotope visualisation of the gallbladder and time for maximum activity was significantly delayed. This may indicate impaired gallbladder function. On the contrary, CCK release was not impaired.

Duodenal Obstruction on 99mTc-DISIDA Cholescintigraphy: A Noninvasive Approach to Bowel Obstruction Diagnosis.

We present a case study of a 56-y-old man who was admitted with acute abdominal pain and was found to have retroperitoneal hematoma from a ruptured duodenal aneurysm. 99mTc-diisopropyliminodiacetic acid cholescintigraphy showed incidental absent transit of radiotracer into the distal duodenum and severe enterogastric reflux, thought to be secondary to duodenal obstruction from the hematoma. Findings were confirmed on esophagogastroduodenoscopy, and the patient improved after subsequent gastrojejunostomy.

Influence of Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass on the Hepatocellular Function and Bile Flow of Obese Patients Assessed by Scintigraphy with DISIDA.

BACKGROUND: Obesity is associated with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), which is improved by bariatric surgery. Hepatobiliary scintigraphy with 99m.-Tc diisopropylacetanilido iminodiacetic acid (99mTc-DISIDA) has proved to be highly effective for the assessment of bile flow, representing an indirect measurement of hepatocyte and cholangiocyte function. The objective of this study was to assess the effects of Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) on bile flow in obese subjects by hepatobiliary scintigraphy. This study was conducted in a public university hospital in Brazil. METHODS: Twenty obese patients and five nonobese patients (with no hepatic or biliary disease) were studied. The obese patients were submitted to anthropometric evaluation and biochemical exams when they arrived at the service, during the immediate preoperative period and 3, 6, and 12 months after surgery. They were also submitted to abdominal ultrasound and hepatobiliary scintigraphy with 99mTc-DISIDA during the preoperative period and 12 months after RYGB. Tmax (time of maximum marker uptake) and T1/2 (half time between peak uptake and disappearance of the marker) were determined and compared between obese patients and controls, before and after surgery. The results were compared to those obtained with an intraoperative liver biopsy. RESULTS: A weight loss of 12.2 ± 4.3 % was observed during preparation for surgery, and a loss of 30.4 ± 5.6 % was observed 1 year after RYGB. Ultrasound hepatic analysis revealed some degree of NAFLD in the operated patients. Obese patients showed a prolonged T1/2 compared to control, with a reduction to normal levels after RYGB. CONCLUSIONS: We concluded that NAFLD compromises bile excretion, a process that can be reversed by treatment with RYGB.

HIDA Scan with Ejection Fraction Is over Utilized in the Management of Biliary Dyskinesia.

Patients with upper abdominal pain, nausea, and vomiting are often evaluated with ultrasound to diagnose symptomatic cholelithiasis or cholecystitis. With a normal ultrasound, a hepatobiliary iminodiacetic acid (HIDA) scan with ejection fraction (EF) is recommended to evaluate gallbladder function. The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether the HIDA scan with EF was appropriately utilized in considering cholecystectomy. Over 18 months, we performed 1533 HIDA scans with EF. After exclusion, 1501 were analyzable, 438 of whom underwent laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Patients were divided into two groups: those with typical and atypical symptoms of biliary colic. Our primary endpoint was symptom resolution of those who underwent laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Symptom resolution was assessed by chart review of postop visits or readmissions. In patients with typical symptoms, resolution occurred in 66 per cent of patients with positive HIDA and 77 per cent with negative HIDA (P = 0.292). In patients with atypical symptoms, resolution occurred in 64 per cent of patients with positive HIDA and 43 per cent with negative HIDA (P = 0.013). A HIDA scan with EF was not useful in patients with typical symptoms of biliary colic and negative ultrasounds, and should not be used to make a decision for cholecystectomy. However, this test can be helpful in patients with atypical symptoms, as it does predict symptom improvement in this group.

Evaluation of bile reflux in HIDA images based on fluid mechanics.

We propose a new method to help physicians assess, using a hepatobiliary iminodiacetic acid scan image, whether or not there is bile reflux into the stomach. The degree of bile reflux is an important index for clinical diagnosis of stomach diseases. The proposed method applies image-processing technology combined with a hydrodynamic model to determine the extent of bile reflux or whether the duodenum is also folded above the stomach. This condition in 2D dynamic images suggests that bile refluxes into the stomach, when endoscopy shows no bile reflux. In this study, we used optical flow to analyze images from Tc99m-diisopropyl iminodiacetic acid cholescintigraphy (Tc99m-DISIDA) to ascertain the direction and velocity of bile passing through the pylorus. In clinical diagnoses, single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) is the main clinical tool for evaluating functional images of hepatobiliary metabolism. Computed tomography (CT) shows anatomical images of the external contours of the stomach, liver, and biliary extent. By exploiting the functional fusion of the two kinds of medical image, physicians can obtain a more accurate diagnosis. We accordingly reconstructed 3D images from SPECT and CT to help physicians choose which cross sections to fuse with software and to help them more accurately diagnose the extent and quantity of bile reflux.

The utility of CT for predicting bile leaks in hepatic trauma.

The purpose of this study was to determine the efficacy of CT to predict the development of bile leaks in hepatic trauma. This HIPAA-compliant retrospective study was IRB approved and consent was waived. All patients who sustained hepatic trauma between January 1, 2006, and January 31, 2012, and who underwent CT and hepatobiliary scans during the same hospital admission were included. One hundred and thirty-two patients met the inclusion criteria. Comparison between the presence of biliary injury relative to American Association for the Surgery of Trauma (AAST) hepatic injury grade and mean distance of the hepatic laceration to the inferior vena cava (IVC) was made. The ability of free fluid to predict bile injury was analyzed. Forty-one (31 %) of the 132 patients had positive hepatobiliary scans. Of these 41 patients, seven (17 %) sustained low-grade and 34 (83 %) sustained high-grade hepatic injury compared with the 37 (41 %) low-grade and 54 (59 %) high-grade hepatic injuries in the negative hepatobiliary scan group. The mean distance to the IVC was 2.4 cm (SD 2.9 cm) and 3.6 cm (SD 3.3 cm) in patients with and without bile leaks, respectively. A statistically significant difference in the proportion of high-grade injuries and the mean distance from the IVC between the two groups was identified. The presence of free fluid on CT is sensitive, but not specific, for detecting a bile leak. CT findings, including AAST liver injury grade and location of the liver laceration, are able to predict which patients are at risk for developing bile leaks as seen on hepatobiliary scintigraphy, whereas the presence of free fluid is not.

Beyond current guidelines: reduction in minimum administered radiopharmaceutical activity with preserved diagnostic image quality in pediatric hepatobiliary scintigraphy.

PURPOSE: To determine if the minimum administered radiopharmaceutical activity for hepatobiliary scintigraphy can be reduced while preserving diagnostic image quality using enhanced planar processing (EPP). METHODS: A total of 40 infants between 10 and 270 days old (body mass 2.2 - 6.5 kg) had hepatobiliary scintigraphy during the period 2004 - 2010 following the intravenous administration of either (99m)Tc-mebrofenin (18 patients) or (99m)Tc-disofenin (22 patients). Due to the small size of these patients, they all received the minimum administered activity of 18.5 MBq consistent with the North American Consensus Guidelines. Six nuclear medicine physicians subjectively graded the acceptability of the image quality for clinical interpretation using a four-point scale (not acceptable, fair, good, excellent). Each physician independently graded seven image sets including the original study (full activity) and simulated reduced activity studies using binomial subsampling (50% of full activity, 25% of full activity and activity reduced by weight), with and without EPP. RESULTS: For full-activity studies, 98% were deemed acceptable by the six physicians for clinical interpretation. The percentages of acceptable 50% reduced activity studies with and without EPP were not significantly different from the percentage of acceptable full-activity studies (P = 0.193 and P = 0.998, respectively). The percentage of acceptable 25% reduced activity studies without EPP was significantly different from the percentage of acceptable full-activity studies (P < 0.001); however, this difference vanished when EPP was applied (P = 0.482). The activity reduced by weight ranged from 1.85 to 4.81 MBq (10% to 26% of full dose) and the percentages of acceptable studies with and without EPP were significantly different from the percentage of acceptable full-activity studies (P < 0.001 and P = 0.02, respectively). CONCLUSION: Clinically interpretable hepatobiliary scintigraphy images can be obtained in infants when the minimum administered activity is substantially reduced. Without EPP, clinically acceptable images may be produced with a reduction of 50%, and with EPP, a reduction of 75% or more may be possible.

99mTc-DISIDA uptake in liver lesion and pulmonary metastases shown on SPECT/CT in a patient with hepatocellular carcinoma.

A 43-year-old man, previously submitted to right hepatectomy, right hepatic artery chemoembolization, and surgical resection of liver lesions, with well-differentiated and moderately differentiated hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) confirmed by histopathology, underwent cholescintigraphy with Tc diisopropyliminodiacetic acid (Tc-DISIDA) due to recurrent cholangitis. The scintigraphic images and the coregistered CT images showed radiotracer uptake in an area of biliary ectasia near the hepatic surface (which may be associated with recurrent cholangitis), in a hepatic nodule, and in multiple pulmonary metastases.

The effect of lipophilicity on the hepatobiliary properties of iminodiacetic acid derivatives in the conditions of hyperbilirubinemia.

The partition coefficients (log P) of theoretically possible alkyliodinated iminodiacetic acid (IDA) derivatives and commercial IDA derivatives were calculated using two computer programs: ChemSketch Log P and ChemOffice Ultra. Newly synthesized ligands (DIETHYLIODIDA and DIISOPROPYLIODIDA) with the highest calculated log P were labeled with technetium-99m. The biodistribution and the influence of bilirubin on their biokinetics were investigated in rats and compared to corresponding results for commercial (99m)Tc-BROMIDA. Log P of (99m)Tc-complexes of synthesized ligands were determined experimentally as well as the protein binding. In comparison to (99m)Tc-BROMIDA, (99m)Tc-DIETHYLIODIDA has: (a) better biliary excretion (2.76±0.15%ID/g versus 1.83±0.10%ID/g); (b) faster hepatic clearance (2.90±0.21%ID/g versus 7.47±0.70%ID/g) and decreased biliary excretion (for 14% versus 22%) in conditions of hyperbilirubinemia after 15min. It is proved that (99m)Tc-DIISOPROPYLIODIDA has a prolonged hepatic transit time and decreased biliary excretion.

Efficacy of US-guided percutaneous cholecystocholangiography for the early exclusion and type determination of biliary atresia.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the efficacy of ultrasonographically (US)-guided percutaneous cholecystocholangiography (PCC) for early diagnosis and characterization of biliary atresia in infants with cholestatic liver disease. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Institutional review board approval was obtained for this study. Parental informed written consent was obtained. From October 2003 to August 2010, 22 infants (12 male, 10 female; age range, 1-138 days) were referred to the radiology department for PCC. Indications for PCC were suspected biliary atresia at 24-hour delayed technetium 99m-diisopropyl-phenylcarbamoylmethyl-iminodiacetic acid (DISIDA) scintigraphy because no excretion was observed in the small bowel (n = 17) or when the results of the scan or liver biopsy could not be obtained within 3 days because of a delay in schedule (n = 5). A diagnosis of biliary atresia was excluded when there was contrast material visualized in the gallbladder, biliary system, and passage to the duodenum. Patients with biliary atresia underwent surgery as the reference standard. RESULTS: Among the 18 patients who underwent successful PCC, biliary atresia was excluded in 13, with diagnoses as follows: total parenteral nutrition-associated cholestasis (TPNAC) (n = 6), neonatal hepatitis (n = 4), congenital syphilis (n = 1), neonatal lupus (n = 1), and congenital cytomegalovirus hepatitis (n = 1). Biliary atresia was diagnosed in five patients (four with type IIIb and one with type IIIa) and was confirmed at surgery. In four infants in whom US-guided gallbladder puncture had failed, biliary atresia (n = 2) and TPNAC (n = 2) were diagnosed. CONCLUSION: PCC is a safe and useful technique for early exclusion when biliary atresia cannot be ruled out after traditional screening tests; in addition, it may be useful for preoperative type determination of biliary atresia. © RSNA, 2011.

Analysis of esophageal reflux after proximal gastrectomy measured by wireless ambulatory 24-hr esophageal pH monitoring and TC-99m diisopropyliminodiacetic acid (DISIDA) scan.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Reflux is one of the most common sequela after proximal gastrectomy (PG). The aim of this study was to find a predicting factor related to the character of esophageal reflux after PG. METHODS: Wireless ambulatory 24-hr pH monitoring (for acid reflux, AR) and diisopropyliminodiacetic acid hepatobiliary scan (for bile reflux, BR) were performed on 24 patients who had reflux symptoms after PG with esophagogastrostomy from July 2008 to March 2009. Endoscopic examination was done and the length of remnant stomach (LoRS) was measure by postoperative UGI series. RESULTS: Eleven patients (45.8%) had only BR, 7 (29.2%) had AR only, Two patients (8.3%) had both acid and BR, and 3 (12.5%) had neither. The LoRS along greater curvature was significantly shorter in patients with only BR (16.11 +/- 2.87 cm) than in patients with only AR (23.69 +/- 6.15 cm, P = 0.003). Severity of symptoms or esophagitis was not significantly correlated with the content of acid or BR. CONCLUSION: Reflux symptom after PG is caused by either bile or acid rather than both. Character of reflux was related to the LoRS.

Impaired liver regeneration of steatotic rats after portal vein ligation: a particular emphasis on (99m)Tc-DISIDA scintigraphy and adiponectin signaling.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Portal vein ligation (PVL) is increasingly employed prior to major hepatectomy in order to enhance the volume of the future liver remnant (FLR) and to avoid post-hepatectomy liver failure. The efficacy of PVL on subjects with non-alcohol fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is largely unknown. METHODS: Sprague-Dawley rats fed with normal diet (control) and methionine-choline deficient diet (MCD) were used. The animals underwent PVL and were sacrificed at indicated time points. RESULTS: Livers from MCD rats exhibited a decreased BrdU and Ki-67 labelling index, and an increased apoptotic index after PVL compared to normal rats; as a net effect, MCD rats exhibited a decrease in their restituted liver mass and redistributed volume ratio, compared to normal rats. Normal rats displayed similar serum levels of ICG15-R before and after PVL; whereas MCD rats displayed reduced ICG15-R after PVL. Using (99m)Tc-DISIDA scintigraphy examination, livers from MCD rats exhibited decreased HEF and prolonged TE(1/2) of FLR after PVL, indicating deteriorating hepatocyte function despite the shift in volume. The basal level of plasma TNFalpha, IL-1alpha, IL-1beta, and IL-10 of MCD rats was significantly increased before PVL compared to normal rats; however their plasma level did not increase in response to PVL as in normal rats. Hepatic adiponectin mRNA surged in MCD rats after PVL, whereas its receptors, AdipoR1 and AdipoR2, were paradoxically down-regulated. PPARalpha, a down-stream molecule of AdipoR2 axis, was also decreased in MCD rats. CONCLUSIONS: Reduced regenerated liver mass and deteriorated hepatocyte function of the FLR from steatotic rats after PVL may be associated with deranged Kupffer cell-mediated cytokine expression and disrupted adiponectin signalling.

Nuclear imaging of the liver: is there a diagnostic role of HIDA in posttransplantation?

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Biliary complications are common after liver transplantation. This study sought to assess the value of hepatic iminodiacetic acid (HIDA) scans (hepatobiliary iminodiacetic acid scan) to detect early posttransplantation biliary complications. METHODS: From April 2003 to June 2006, 34 liver transplantations (recipients of mean +/- SD age of 43.0 +/- 15.7 years) were performed in 25 (73.5%) males from 20 (58.8%) cadaveric donors and 14 (41.2%) living-related donors. The subjects underwent HIDA scans using a single head gamma camera Meridian (Philips) after intravenous (IV) administration of 185 MBq Tc-99m Disofenin. The mean time +/- SD posttransplantation to HIDA scan was 14.6 +/- 18.2 days (range, 0-74). The results were compared with endoscopic retrograde cholangio pancreatography, magnetic resonant cholangiopancreatography, percutaneous cholangiograhy, and/or liver biopsy. RESULTS: Twenty-four abnormalities were detected by HIDA scan in 16 patients (47.1%): 10 (29.4%) biliary leaks; 4 (11.4%) biliary obstruction or cholestasis; 1 (2.9%) delayed uptake; 5 (14.7%) delayed blood pool clearance; and 8 (23.5%) delayed transit to the bowel. The complications were more common among living-donor compared with deceased-donor graft recipients, albeit a not statistically significant difference (P = .066). Total and direct bilirubin levels were significantly higher in patients with abnormal than normal HIDA scans (P = .011 and P = .040, respectively). The sensitivity and specificity of HIDA scans to detect overall postoperative complications were 100% and 66.7%, respectively. Biliary leak results were false positives in 7/10 patients, and true in 3. Detection of obstruction was 75% sensitive by HIDA. CONCLUSION: HIDA scans are a noninvasive, reliable modality for early exclusion of posttransplantation biliary complications. However, correlation with clinical status and imaging modalities is essential to confirm detected abnormalities.

Hepatobiliary scintigraphy for the assessment of biliary strictures after pediatric liver transplantation.

HBS is used in the management of liver transplantation, a significant complication of which is biliary stricture. Strictures may be intraparenchymal within segments and main duct (non-anastomotic) or at the biliary-enteric anastomosis (anastomotic). Strictures are definitively diagnosed, and often managed, by PTC. This is invasive, technically challenging, and requires general anesthesia in young children. HBS may allow early detection of these complications and is non-invasive. The aim of this study was to review the scintigraphic pattern of biliary strictures using (99m)TcDISIDA HBS following pediatric orthotopic liver transplantation, and to assess its role in the diagnostic algorithm of suspected biliary strictures. All available hepatobiliary studies performed post-transplant in 101 episodes of liver transplantation in 92 pediatric patients were reviewed. Twenty-three (23%) patients had known biliary strictures. Twenty-two patients had adequate studies available for review; five had intrahepatic (non-anastomotic) strictures alone, nine had a stricture of the anastomosis alone, and eight had both intrahepatic and anastomotic strictures. HBS patterns (either segmental or global changes) correlated very highly with clinically significant biliary strictures. All patients with known strictures had abnormal HBS; hence, in patients with abnormal liver function tests post-liver transplant, a normal HBS makes strictures very unlikely. We propose that HBS can thus be used to determine if further investigation is required.

A Case of Crigler-Najjar Syndrome Type 2 Diagnosed Using Genetic Mutation Analysis / 대한소아소화기영양학회지

Crigler-Najjar syndrome is a rare inherited disease associated with unconjugated hyperbilirubinemia. It is inherited via an autosomal recessive pattern and is caused by mutation in one of the five exons of the bilirubin uridine-diphosphoglucuronate glucuronosyltransferase (UGT1A1) gene. The synthesis of inactive isoforms of bilirubin uridine-diphosphoglucuronate glucuronosyltransferase (B-UGT) results in unconjugated hyperbilirubinemia. A 13-year-old boy with jaundice for 4 months was admitted to our hospital. He had unconjugated hyperbilirubinemia with no evidence of infection, hemolysis, or structural abnormalities on abdominal ultrasonography or 99mTc-DISIDA scan. The authors identified a missense mutation of Tyr486Asp in the fifth exon of the UGT1A1 gene and diagnosed the patient with Crigler-Najjar syndrome type II. This is the first reported case of Crigler-Najjar syndrome in a Korean child, and it is also the first reported case of a genetic mutation leading to Crigler-Najjar syndrome in Korea.

A Case of Crigler-Najjar Syndrome Type 2 Diagnosed Using Genetic Mutation Analysis / 대한소아소화기영양학회지

Crigler-Najjar syndrome is a rare inherited disease associated with unconjugated hyperbilirubinemia. It is inherited via an autosomal recessive pattern and is caused by mutation in one of the five exons of the bilirubin uridine-diphosphoglucuronate glucuronosyltransferase (UGT1A1) gene. The synthesis of inactive isoforms of bilirubin uridine-diphosphoglucuronate glucuronosyltransferase (B-UGT) results in unconjugated hyperbilirubinemia. A 13-year-old boy with jaundice for 4 months was admitted to our hospital. He had unconjugated hyperbilirubinemia with no evidence of infection, hemolysis, or structural abnormalities on abdominal ultrasonography or 99mTc-DISIDA scan. The authors identified a missense mutation of Tyr486Asp in the fifth exon of the UGT1A1 gene and diagnosed the patient with Crigler-Najjar syndrome type II. This is the first reported case of Crigler-Najjar syndrome in a Korean child, and it is also the first reported case of a genetic mutation leading to Crigler-Najjar syndrome in Korea.

[A case with Rotor syndrome in hyperbilirubinemic family].

Rotor syndrome is a rare, benign familial disorder characterized by chronic fluctuating, nonhemolytic and predominantly conjugated hyperbilirubinemia with normal hepatic histology. In contrast to Dubin-Johnson syndrome, there is no liver pigmentation in Rotor syndrome. A 36-year-old man was admitted due to asymptomatic persistent jaundice. His siblings had jaundice with direct hyperbilirubinemia. Physical examination revealed icteric sclerae without hepatosplenomegaly. Laboratory findings showed increased serum bilirubin with direct bilirubinemia. Hepatic uptake and storage capacity of indocyanine green was markedly reduced, while excretion into bile was slightly suppressed. Markedly decreased hepatic uptake and poor visualization of the gallbladder and biliary tract were shown in 99mTc-DISIDA scan. Histology of the liver showed mild steatosis without pigmentation. We report a case with the review of literature.

99Tcm-DISIDA hepatobiliary imaging in evaluating gallbladder function in patients with spinal cord injury.

BACKGROUND: Spinal cord injury (SCI) is associated with increased prevalence of gallstones and acute acalculous cholecystitis. A possible explanation for the increased prevalence of gallstones in SCI patients is decreased gallbladder motility causing gallbladder stasis. In this study, we investigated gallbladder function in patients with SCI. METHODS: Eighteen normal controls, 16 trauma controls and 46 SCI patients were included in this study. Gallbladder function was measured by technium 99m-labeled imino-diacetic acid analogue ((99)Tc(m)-DISIDA) hepatobiliary imaging and represented by filling fraction (FF) and ejection fraction (EF). The data from SCI patients were analyzed according to old versus young, female versus male, heavy versus light body weight, ASIA A & B versus ASIA C & D classification, high- versus low-level injury, and long versus short injury duration. RESULTS: Fifty-two percent of SCI patients had abnormal FF and 59% had abnormal EF. Significantly decreased FF and EF values were found in SCI patients, especially in female patients with severe and high-level injuries. CONCLUSION: Quantitative (99)Tc(m)-DISIDA cholescintigraphy showed that SCI can significantly impair gallbladder function.

A Case with Rotor Syndrome in Hyperbilirubinemic Family / 대한소화기학회지

Rotor syndrome is a rare, benign familial disorder characterized by chronic fluctuating, nonhemolytic and predominantly conjugated hyperbilirubinemia with normal hepatic histology. In contrast to Dubin-Johnson syndrome, there is no liver pigmentation in Rotor syndrome. A 36-year-old man was admitted due to asymptomatic persistent jaundice. His siblings had jaundice with direct hyperbilirubinemia. Physical examination revealed icteric sclerae without hepatosplenomegaly. Laboratory findings showed increased serum bilirubin with direct bilirubinmia. Hepatic uptake and storage capacity of indocyanine green was markedly reduced, while excretion into bile was slightly suppressed. Markedly decreased hepatic uptake and poor visualization of the gallbladder and biliary tract were shown in 99mTc-DISIDA scan. Histology of the liver showed mild steatosis without pigmentation. We report a case with the review of literature.

Scintigraphic gallbladder visualization with gangrenous acalculous cholecystitis.

Hepatobiliary scintigraphy evaluates the biliary clearance of Tc-99m-labeled iminodiacetic acid agents (Tc-99m IDA) and has a high sensitivity and specificity for the diagnosis of acute cholecystitis. False-negative studies are extremely rare. We describe an apparently normal nonmorphine-augmented hepatobiliary study in gangrenous acalculous cholecystitis. Based on clinical findings, computed tomography, and ultrasound demonstration of a dilated gallbladder, a cholecystectomy was performed. Pathologic examination of the gallbladder revealed acute gangrenous cholecystitis with culture positive for Klebsiella pneumoniae.