Delayed renal localization of Ga-67: concise communication.

Five hundred Ga-67 images, requested for detection or follow-up of inflammatory or neoplastic diseases, were reviewed to evaluate the incidence of delayed renal localization and the clinical significance of different degrees of uptake. Renal uptake in 48- or 72-hr images was graded as follows: 0 = background activity; 1+ = greater than background but less than spine; 2+ = close to spine but less than liver; 3+ = same as liver; 4+ = greater than liver. On the 500 images, 996 kidneys were evaluated and among them 600 (60%) had 0 uptake and 340 (34%) had 1+. These 940 kidneys were all considered to be normal. Fifty-six (6%) had 2+ or more uptake, with possible causes for uptake being: infection 27, drug-induced renal damage ten, urinary stasis or slow excretion seven, collagen vascular disease six, renal failure four, acute tubular necrosis one (ATN), and indeterminate one. Cases of renal infection or failure tended to show more or less 4+ uptake, while drug damage, ATN, or urinary stasis tended to have 2+ uptake.