Gallium-67 imaging to localize urinary-tract infections

Area of Science:

• Nuclear Medicine
• Urology
• Infectious Diseases

Background:

• Distinguishing upper from lower urinary tract infections is crucial for appropriate treatment.
• Pyelonephritis, an upper tract infection, requires prompt diagnosis and management to prevent complications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of 67Ga citrate imaging in differentiating upper from lower urinary tract infections.
• To assess the utility of 67Ga citrate scintigraphy in diagnosing pyelonephritis.

Main Methods:

• Seventy-three patients with suspected urinary tract infections underwent imaging with 67Ga citrate.
• Diagnosis of pyelonephritis was confirmed by ureteral catheterization, bladder washout, or histology in 47 patients.

Main Results:

• Renal uptake of 67Ga citrate demonstrated 86% accuracy in diagnosing pyelonephritis.
• The imaging technique yielded 15% false-positives and 13% false-negatives.
• Results were available 24 hours post-injection.

Conclusions:

• 67Ga citrate scintigraphy is a potentially valuable, non-invasive tool for diagnosing pyelonephritis.
• The test's rapid availability and safety for repeat imaging make it suitable for monitoring recurrent infections.