Application of heat-damaged Tc-99m RBCs in a patient with suspected hepatic metastasis

We present a patient with a remote history of splenectomy and recent hemicolectomy for colon adenocarcinoma. On routine surveillance chest/abdomen/pelvis CT, a lesion suspicious for hepatic metastasis was identified. Followup MRI was inconclusive. For more specific tissue characterization, imaging with Tc-99m heat-damaged RBCs was obtained to guide further patient management. Tc-99m-labeled, heat-damaged RBC scintigraphy is an underused modality that is highly specific for detecting ectopic or accessory splenic tissue. There have been many reported cases of patients undergoing unnecessary biopsies or laparotomies to remove suspicious masses that were subsequently found to be ectopic splenic tissue.