Evaluation of 99mTc-Pyridoxylideneglutamate for the Differential Diagnosis of Jaundice

Abstract

Hepatobiliary imaging with 99mTc-pyridoxylideneglutamate (Tc-PG) was performed in 38 patients and 6 normal subjects. Visualization of the gallbladder was possible within 20 minutes post injection in normal subjects. In patients with a direct bilirubin concentration greater than 10 mg/dl, neither the gallbladder nor the intestines were visualized irrespective of the etiology and thus the study was not helpful to differentiate the intrahepatic from extrahepatic obstruction. However, when the direct bilirubin concentration was less than 10 mg/dl, visualization of the tracer in the intestines was helpful to exclude complete extrahepatic biliary obstruction. Although the images produced with 99mTc-PG were qualitatively superior to 131I Rose Bengal, they did not result in any additional etiological information.