Patterns of Ga-67 citrate accumulation in Human Immunodeficiency Virus positive patients with and without Mycobacterium avium intracellulare infection

• Published in: Clinical radiology Vol. 50; no. 7; pp. 483 - 488
• Main Authors: Buscombe, J.R., Buttery, P., Ell, P.J., Miller, R.F.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier Ltd 01.07.1995; Elsevier
• Subjects: Adult; AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections - diagnostic imaging; AIDS/HIV; Biological and medical sciences; Bone Marrow - diagnostic imaging; Citrates; Citric Acid; Colon - diagnostic imaging; Contrast media. Radiopharmaceuticals; Female; Gallium Radioisotopes; HIV Seropositivity - diagnostic imaging; Humans; Lymph Nodes - diagnostic imaging; Male; Medical sciences; Mycobacterium avium-intracellulare Infection - diagnostic imaging; Paranasal Sinuses - diagnostic imaging; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Radionuclide Imaging; Retrospective Studies; Radionuclide study; Human; Immunopathology; Gallium; Iatrogenic; Retroviridae; Mycobacterium avium; Mycobacterial infection; Immune deficiency; Virus; Infection; Association; Mycobacteriales; Viral disease; Bacteriosis; Mycobacteriaceae; Bacteria; Lentivirinae; Complication; Actinomycetes; Human immunodeficiency virus; Biological accumulation; Comparative study
• ISSN: 0009-9260; 1365-229X
• DOI: 10.1016/S0009-9260(05)83166-6

Infection with Mycobacterium avium intracellulaire (MAI) is an increasingly important problem in patients infected with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). The objective of this study was to identify whether specific patterns of accumulation of Ga-67 citrate occur in HIV antibody positive patients with disseminated MAI infection. A retrospective review of Ga-67 scinigraphy was performed in 18 HIV antibody positive patients with MAI and 20 HIV antibody positive patients without MAI (who acted as a control group). A wide range of abnormalities was seen in both groups of patients and no single abnormality was diagnostic of MAI. However MAI was likely (sensitivity 89%, specificity 70%) in the presence of two or more of the following; accumulation of Ga-67 in lymph nodes, paranasal sinuses or colon or reduced uptake in the bone marrow. No specific abnormality on Ga-67 scintigraphy in HIV antibody positive patients enables a diagnosis of MAI to be made. Subtle and non specific abnormalities of Ga-67 may be the only scintigraphic evidence of active, Mycobacterium avium intracellulare infection.