Renal scintiscan: clinical applications

ABSTRACT

The radioisotope renal scintiscan has proved to be a diagnostic tool in the study of various kidney conditions. Because of the physical and pharmacologic properties of the Hg labeled Neohydrin to concentrate particularly in the cortical areas of the kidneys, test is an excellent one for the delineation of space-occupying lesions of the kidneys. It can also aid in proving whether a mass in the kidney area is in the kidney or not. It should be emphasized, however, that a negative renal scan does not necessarily rule out a tumor. The presence of a filling defect in the renal scan does not necessarily imply the presence of a tumor either. It can be an ischemic area, a renal cyst, or an infacted areaIt has been applied as an adjunct in the study of patients with anuria and azotemia. Because of its case of performance, without any added hazards to the already very ill patients it can be done readily and the results are immediately available. There is very little radiation hazards (0.9) rads per 100 microcuries of HgThe renal scintiscan has been extensively utilized as an auxilliary procedure in the diagnostic evaluation of hypertensive patients. It is a better guide in evaluating the relative kidney sizes. This test is capable of demonstrating the functioning state of the renal tissue, such as small areas of residual viable tissue, and areas of kidney infarction and ischemia of 2 cm or more in diameter. (Comment)