Beswick W, Chmiel R, Booth R, Vellar I, Gilford E, Chesterman C N
Br Med J. 1979 Jan 13;1(6156):82-4. doi: 10.1136/bmj.1.6156.82.
A comparative study of 32 patients with suspected deep venous thrombosis was carried out using blood-pool radionuclide scanning and conventional x-ray phlebography. Results of the two methods showed close agreement, the sensitivity (positive correlation) of the scan being 100% and its specificity 89%. We conclude that a patient's red cells labelled with 99mtechnetium (99mTc) provide an excellent medium for this type of scanning. The technique has particular advantages in visualising the whole venous system, giving a persisting image, and obviating the need to inject into a vein of the affected limb. In view of the inherent disadvantages of contrast phlebography, 99mTc-red-cell scanning is clearly an acceptable alternative.