Technetium 99m-labelled-sucralphate isotope scanning in the detection of peptic ulceration.

An isotope scan using sucralphate labelled with technetium-99m has been compared with barium meal in the detection of peptic ulceration in 18 patients with endoscopically proven upper gastrointestinal lesions and eight controls. Gastric (75%) and duodenal (67%) ulcers were detected with identical frequency by isotope scan and barium meal but both were inferior to endoscopy. Structural, non-ulcerated lesions, were not identified by isotope scanning. The scan has potential value in duodenal ulcer disease, the serial assessment of ulcer healing and in paediatric gastroenterology.