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Updated: Aug 15, 2026
Non-invasive Imaging of Leukocyte Homing and Migration in vivo
Published on: December 6, 2010
Wound dressing activity mimicking infection on labeled leukocyte imaging
C J Palestro1, I R Cohen, S J Goldsmith
1Department of Physics-Nuclear Medicine, Mt. Sinai School of Medicine, Mt. Sinai Medical Center, New York, New York.
Insights
Labeled leukocyte imaging can show false positives in inflammatory conditions. Removing wound dressings before imaging prevents misinterpreting activity in dressings as infection.
Area of Science:
- Nuclear Medicine
- Diagnostic Imaging
Background:
- Labeled leukocyte imaging is a valuable tool for detecting infection.
- However, false-positive results can occur due to inflammation or bleeding.
Observation:
- Intense uptake of labeled cells was observed in wound dressings.
- This activity was initially mistaken for focal infection in two patients.
Findings:
- Repeat imaging after dressing removal confirmed activity was confined to the dressings.
- The observed uptake did not represent true infection.
Implications:
- It is recommended to remove wound dressings before performing leukocyte imaging.
- This practice can prevent misdiagnosis and improve the accuracy of infection localization.
Abstract:
Although labeled leukocyte imaging is an extremely useful technique for the localization of infection, false-positive results in inflammatory conditions where no infection exists have been described. False-positive results secondary to bleeding have also been reported. The authors recently observed intense uptake of labeled cells in the wound dressings of two patients undergoing leukocyte imaging. Repeat imaging after the removal of these dressings confirmed that the activity seen was in the dressings and did not represent focal infection, as originally thought. Based on these observations, the authors think it prudent to remove such dressings before performing leukocyte imaging.
