Patent umbilical vein. Diagnosis by technetium-99m tagged red blood cell scintigraphy

Abdominal scanning with Tc-99m labeled red blood cells serendipitously demonstrated collateral flow in a patent umbilical vein in a patient with unsuspected advanced cirrhotic liver disease and portal hypertension. Knowledge of this was crucial in planning the optimal surgical approach in this patient, referred for resection of a bladder carcinoma. Furthermore, the nuclide study was helpful in clarifying several questions posed by a prior abdominal pelvic CT scan.