Clearance of technetium 99m-labeled sulfur colloid particles from the blood in normal dogs and in dogs with hepatic granulomata.

The clearance of technetium 99m-labeled sulfur colloid particles from the blood was studied in a series of seven clinically normal dogs. The effect of recent (6 hours) injections of bacteria bacillus Calmette-Guerin or Corynebacterium parvum markedly impeded the clearance of the colloid from the blood, due to a partial blockade effect. This phenomenon was reversible. When multiple experimentally induced hepatic granulomatous lesions were present, the clearance was similarly impeded. In contrast, however, this was not a reversible event. The possible application of this technique to diagnosis was discussed.