%0 Journal Article
%T Tc99m-HMPAO white blood cell scintigraphy: added value of SPECT/CT for infection diagnosis in cardiothoracic surgery
%A Napoleone Prandini
%A Stefano Panareo
%A Rosario Cultrera
%A Chiara Peterle
%J Chest Disease Reports
%D 2012
%I 
%R 10.4081/cdr.2012.e5
%X We report a case of a woman who came to our attention because of fever and a sternal fistula draining purulent fluid. Four years before, she had undergone cardiothoracic surgery to place a patch because of a myocardial rupture. Under suspicion of a deep mediastinal infection, a Tc99m-HMPAO white blood cell (WBC) scintigraphy was performed. The use of planar imaging and single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT/CT) imaging allowed the identification of a sternal infection, which involved the anterior mediastinum up to pericardium and diaphgram. SPECT/CT led to a precise diagnosis of a thoracic infection, providing the location and extent of the disease. This turned out useful to improve therapeutic strategies.
%K SPECT/CT
%K Tc99m-HMPAO white blood cell scintigraphy
%K cardiothoracic surgery.
%U http://www.pagepressjournals.org/index.php/chest/article/view/230