[Scintigraphic diagnosis of inflammatory small bowel stenoses in Crohn disease using 111In oxine-labeled leukocytes]

Abstract

17 patients with known small bowel involvement in Crohn's disease (clinically active, n = 14; clinically inactive, n = 3) were examined within 8 days via barium enemas of the small bowel (Pansdorf's method or enteroclysis) and by 111In-oxine labelled leucocytes. From 19 radiologically diagnosed small bowel stenoses 14 were classified as inflammatory and 5 as non-inflammatory. The leucocyte scan also showed 14 inflammatory stenoses. The not inflamed stenoses could not be diagnosed scintigraphically. The barium enemas of the small bowel and the leukocyte scans both correctly diagnosed the acute inflamed segments. The inability to show non-inflamed segments (n = 5) and to localise small bowel stenoses exactly is disadvantageous in the scan. The advantage of the leucocyte scan is a non-invasive examination without specific bowel preparation and the possibility to diagnose additionally inflamed large bowel segments (n = 4), fistulas and abscesses (n = 2). The leucocyte scan offers a useful expansion of the diagnostic tools in small bowel diseases, especially in radiological problems in patients with Crohn's disease.