Abstract: | Technetium 99m-pyridoxylideneglutamate (99mTc-PG) administered intravenously is excreted by hepatocytes into the bile canaliculi and enters the gallbladder through the cystic duct and, consequently, can be used for scanning the hepatobiliary ductal system. A total of 166 patients representing 27 normal subjects, 84 patients referred for investigation of pain in the upper right quadrant of the abdomen, and 55 jaundiced patients were evaluated with 99mTc-PG. In normal human volunteers, the agent reached the liver in five minutes, and the common bile duct, gallbladder, and duodenum within 15 minutes. Satisfactory images of the hepatobiliary tract were obtained using small dosages of 99mTc-PG. |