Significance of diffuse pulmonary uptake in radiogallium scans: concise communication.

Diffuse pulmonary uptake of radiogallium was observed in 50 out of 510 scans (9.8%) performed in a general hospital over a period of 1 yr. Of the 50 cases, 80% had bilateral, diffuse distribution, and 20% unilateral. A variety of clinical conditions produced a similar picture on the pulmonary images. The most common cause of the diffuse uptake was infectious disease (48%) followed by infiltrative disorders (30%) and neoplastic conditions (22%). On a repeat study there was significant reduction in the intensity of pulmonary radiogallium uptake following drug therapy in three patients--sarcoidosis on corticosteroid therapy, pneumocystis carinii treated with trimethoprim and sulfamethoxozole, and interstitial pulmonary fibrosis on corticosteroids. No close correlation was observed between the underlying clinical disorder and the pattern or intensity of pulmonary uptake of radiogallium.