Usefulness of scintigraphy with Tc-99m phytate for the diagnosis of alcoholic foamy degeneration.

PURPOSE

Alcoholic foamy degeneration (AFD) is a liver disease causing temporary hepatocyte dysfunction. The prognosis is usually good, but liver biopsy is needed for diagnosis. We report the usefulness of liver-spleen scintigraphy with the radiocolloid Tc-99m phytate for the diagnosis of AFD.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

We used liver scintigraphy with Tc-99m phytate to study three patients with AFD diagnosed on the basis of findings from a liver biopsy.

RESULTS

Liver-spleen scintigraphy showed hepatomegaly and splenomegaly, and bone marrow was visible, but radioisotope uptake by the liver was uniform.

CONCLUSIONS

This pattern of scintigraphic findings is different from that reported for patients with alcoholic fatty livers or severe alcoholic hepatitis, and seems to be specific for AFD.