Left Ventricular Assist Device-Associated Gastrointestinal Bleeding: Recognition of an Iatrogenic Etiology on Tc-Tagged Red Blood Cell Scintigraphy.

Tc-tagged red blood cell scintigraphy is the imaging modality of choice in the diagnosis of active gastrointestinal bleeding. Continuous-flow left ventricular assist devices are the state-of-the-art treatment for advanced heart failure, with gastrointestinal bleeding as the most common complication. Recognition of the distinctive imaging feature of continuous-flow left ventricular assist devices on scintigraphic images can aid diagnosis of gastrointestinal bleeding.