Hepatobiliary scanning with 99mTc-PIPIDA in acute cholecystitis

Ninety-five patients with clinically suspected acute cholecystitis underwent hepatobiliary scanning with 99mTc-PIPIDA. A positive scan (nonvisualization of the gallbladder with visualization of the common bile duct and gut) was found in 29 patients; 25 of them (86%) had surgically proven acute cholecystitis and 4 (14%) had chronic cholecystitis. Five of the 25 with acute cholecystitis had acalculous disease. A negative examination (gallbladder visualization) occurred in 63 patients; 18 (29%) had chronic cholecystitis and 45 (71%) were subsequently found to have nonbiliary disease. Three indeterminate studies (nonvisualization of both the gallbladder and gut) were obtained in patients with choledocholithiasis and chronic cholecystitis. In the evaluation of acute cholecystitis, the 99mTc-PIPIDA hepatobiliary scan was 100% sensitive and 94% specific.