Selective role of nuclear medicine in evaluating the acute abdomen.

The imaging evaluation of the acute abdomen has clearly evolved with the introduction of high-resolution imaging techniques, such as CT, US, and MR imaging, leaving scintigraphic examinations an important, though selective, role based on their noninvasive, physiologic, and functional nature. Proper use of these examinations among all the diagnostic methods requires a good understanding of their strengths and limitations.