The effect of previous thoracic surgery on gallium uptake in the chest.

To determine the frequency, average duration, and characteristic patterns of persistent gallium uptake caused by thoracotomy, serial postsurgical scans of 51 patients were reviewed. In each of these cases a thoracotomy had been performed for resection of lung cancer, and there had been no evidence of recurrent tumor for at least 2 yr following surgery. Postoperative gallium activity due to non-neoplastic postoperative changes occurred in 15 patients. Five of six patients scanned within 3 mo of surgery and six of 21 scanned 3 to 6 mo following surgery showed persistent uptake at the operative site. All 13 patients who had subsequent scans demonstrated eventual clearing. Activity persisted more than 18 mo postoperatively in only one patient. Patterns of gallium accumulation included both focal chest wall uptake at the incision site and diffuse pleural activity.