Interest of gallium hepatic scintigraphy in hepatic abscess: a case study.

The interest of 67Ga-citrate scintigraphy in the diagnosis of hepatic abscess is illustrated by a study of a 56-year-old man, who was admitted to the hospital for upper abdominal pain. Ultrasound (US) and X-ray CT scan examinations suggested the presence of a liquid mass, the origin of which was unclear. Liver scintigraphy with 67Ga-citrate disclosed a lacunar zone surrounded by a rim of increased uptake, an image strongly suggestive of abscess or necrotic tumor. A US-guided needle aspiration of the hepatic mass yielded a purulent liquid, from which Streptococcus milleri were grown. This observation suggests that, despite the development of other diagnostic procedures, hepatic gallium scintigraphy still remains sometimes useful for the investigation of poorly characterized hepatic masses.