Davies S G, Garvie N W
Radioisotope Department, London Hospital, Whitechapel.
Br J Radiol. 1990 Nov;63(755):850-4. doi: 10.1259/0007-1285-63-755-850.
Indium-111-labeled white blood cell scanning is often used in the investigation of pyrexia of unknown origin (PUO) to locate an otherwise occult source of sepsis. From a series of 166 white blood cell studies performed for sepsis, 28 cases of true PUO were identified and reviewed. The sensitivity was 60% and specificity 70%, with a positive predictive value of 38% and negative predictive value of 90%. Only 11% of studies revealed a pyogenic cause for PUO. These results are discussed and the potential role of gallium scanning in PUO is raised.
