Gallium Scan Without Hepatic or Renal Activity

A 78-year-old woman was hospitalized for chest pain and shortness of breath 3 years after a coronary artery bypass graft. Shortly after admission, a fever and elevated leukocyte count developed that necessitated a Ga-67 scan to identify the cause of sepsis. Although the Ga-67 scan did not find a specific cause of sepsis, the scan revealed a lack of normal uptake within the liver and the kidneys. The patient had combined liver failure manifested by elevated bilirubin and liver enzyme levels and renal failure indicated by elevated blood-urea nitrogen and creatinine concentrations.