INFECTIOUS DISEASES, Santos AO

Abstracts XIX Brazilian Congress of Nuclear Medicine

5. INFECTIOUS DISEASES

5.1 - CORRELATION BETWEEN GALLIUM-67 PULMONARY SCINTIGRAPHY AND HIGH RESOLUTION COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHY OF THE THORAX IN PARACOCCIDIODOMYCOSIS (SOUTH AMERICAN BLASTOMYCOSIS).

Santos AO, Takahara JS, Quagliato Jr. R, Zanardi V, Menezes JR, Pereira JA, Lima MCL, Etchebehere ECSC, Ramos CD, Camargo EE. Division of Nuclear Medicine, Department of Radiology and Department of Pneumology, Campinas State University (UNICAMP), Campinas, Brazil.

allan@mn-d.com

South American blastomycosis is the most common systemic fungal infection in Latin America and affects the lungs in 80 % of the patients (pts). Imaging is very important to diagnose the disease and for monitoring response to treatment. To compare the performances of high resolution computerized tomography of the thorax (HRCT) and gallium-67 scintigraphy (GS), 13 pts (12 male and 1 female, 30-54 years) with South American blastomycosis were studied. All pts had at most 6 months of treatment. Nodules, condensations and cavitations on the HRCT were considered as signs of the parenchymal form of the disease and GS, in these pts, showed increased gallium-67 accumulation. Stripes and interstitial thickening on HRCT which are present in the progressive form of the disease, showed mild gallium-67 accumulation. There was an agreement of findings in 10 of 13 pts (77%). Two pts with nodules, cavitations, stripes and conglomerate areas in the HRCT had normal GS (no inflammation). In one of the pts, HRCT revealed only lobar emphysema while GS demonstrated mild diffuse lung accumulation. The association of both methods (anatomical findings and the degree of inflammation/infection) is useful for studying the extent and activity of the disease.