Gallium 67 scanning for the diagnosis of infection in children

Gallium 67 scintigraphy was studied prospectively in 26 children with clinically suspected abscesses. Scan interpretation agreed with the clinical outcome in 21 patients (81%). The true-negative rate was 71% and the true-positive rate was 92%. False-positive scans were related to bleeding and bone infarcts. False-negative scans were related to neutropenia (less than 500 neutrophils/cu mm) and to lesions smaller than 1 cm. Gallium scanning is a safe and reliable method of diagnosis of infection in children, except for patients with neutropenia or whose lesions are smaller than 1 cm. Two-hour scans may be useful in some patients, particularly those with osteomyelitis.