Recording of bone marrow activity in liver-spleen (RES) scintigraphy

The bone marrow activity in the liver-spleen (RES) scintigraphy has been difficult to estimate correctly. If the activity of the bone marrow is to be decided as counts/time unit it is of importance that structures with a high activity as the liver and spleen are excluded from the registration. A dorsal registration of the pelvis during 180 s will give a rather correct information of bone marrow activity and besides an image of the pelvic bone marrow is obtained. Using 270 to 280 MBq 99Tcm-Albures all 45 normal cases had values below 150 KCNT (1 KCNT = 1 000 counts). All cases with cirrhosis (n = 15) or metastases in the liver (n = 14) had values over 150 KCNT. Values over 150 KCNT were also found in 29 of 34 patients with an increase in ASAT and ALAT (GOT, GPT) as the only pathologic finding and in 12 of 21 patients with a carcinoma but without metastases in the liver.