Tc-99m Infecton Scan in Possible Pelvic Inflammatory Disease

Tc-99m Infecton imaging was used to examine patients thought to have pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) based on clinical and sonographic findings. Twenty-one patients with PID had Tc-99m Infecton scans. Eleven patients underwent a second radionuclide scan after 1 month of antibiotic treatment. The diagnosis of PID was confirmed by laparoscopy in one patient who was later found to have a tubercular infection. In the remaining patients, the diagnosis was based on uterine tenderness, fever and lower abdominal pain that responded to antibiotics, and ultrasound findings. These patients had infection of the uterus, fallopian tubes, the cul-de-sac, or all of these. The Tc-99m Infecton scan appears to be useful in the diagnosis of possible PID and is recommended after a complete course of antibiotics for monitoring treatment response.