Primary sclerosing cholangitis: Correlation of hepatobiliary scintigraphy with clinical and laboratory status

Summary The aim of this study was to determine whether hepatobiliary scintigraphy using 99mtechnetium based di‐isopropryl‐imino‐diacetic acid correlated to clinical or laboratory status of patients with primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC). We carried out a retrospective case–control study involving 15 patients with proven PSC. Fifty‐seven hepatobiliary scintigraphic studies were reviewed by consensus of two experienced observers using a semiquantitative scheme to score liver size and degree of radiopharmaceutical uptake, intrahepatic or extrahepatic biliary stasis, segmental liver clearance half‐times and gall bladder visualization. The results were compared with age; disease duration; weight loss; serum bilirubin, alkaline phosphatase and albumin levels; antipyrine clearance; number of biliary stents and episodes of cholangitis and history of transplantation. Sixteen age‐matched and sex‐matched individuals with PSC, who did not undergo hepatobiliary scans, were selected for comparison. Among the scintigraphic variables, right lateral and superior liver clearance half‐time values showed a significant linear correlation with disease duration and serum alkaline phosphatase levels (P