Radiocolloid scintigraphy in Felty's syndrome

The Tc-99m sulfur colloid liver-spleen scintigrams of nine patients with Felty's syndrome (a triad of rheumatoid arthritis, splenomegaly, and neutropenia) were reviewed. The characteristic scintigraphic findings include (1) moderate or severe splenomegaly, (2) the reversal of liver-to-spleen uptake ratio despite normal liver function tests, and (3) virtually no visualization of the bone marrow uptake and no pulmonary radiocolloid sequestration. In a late stage of cirrhosis of the liver, moderate-to-severe splenomegaly with the reversal of liver-to-spleen uptake ratio almost always accompanies abnormal liver function, and sometimes there may be associated pulmonary radiocolloid uptake. It was therefore concluded that in a proper clinical setting, a radiocolloid scintigraph may differentiate between Felty's syndrome and cirrhosis of the liver in a late stage.