Three-phase abdominal scintigraphy in lupus vasculitis of the gastrointestinal tract

Gastrointestinal vasculitis is a recognized but frequently misdiagnosed complication of systemic lupus erythematosus. The authors investigated the usefulness of three-phase Tc-99m pyrophosphate abdominal scintigraphy for identifying areas of vasculitis in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus who have gastrointestinal symptoms (diarrhea or abdominal pain). Among patients with gastrointestinal symptoms, 62 of 82 (75%) patients showed positive scan results, suggesting gastrointestinal vasculitis. Among patients without gastrointestinal symptoms, 6 of 43 (13%) patients showed positive scan results. Although three-phase Tc-99m pyrophosphate abdominal scintigraphy cannot provide a definite diagnosis of vasculitis of the gastrointestinal tract, it is a noninvasive and convenient method for suggesting and monitoring gastrointestinal vasculitis.