| pubmed-article:507008 | pubmed:abstractText | Gallium 67 scintigraphy was studied prospectively in 26 children with clinically suspected abscesses. Scan interpretation agreed with the clinical outcome in 21 patients (81%). The true-negative rate was 71% and the true-positive rate was 92%. False-positive scans were related to bleeding and bone infarcts. False-negative scans were related to neutropenia (less than 500 neutrophils/cu mm) and to lesions smaller than 1 cm. Gallium scanning is a safe and reliable method of diagnosis of infection in children, except for patients with neutropenia or whose lesions are smaller than 1 cm. Two-hour scans may be useful in some patients, particularly those with osteomyelitis. | lld:pubmed |
