Possible pitfalls with clinical imaging of indium-111 leukocytes: concise communication.

Indium-111 leukocyte imaging is a reliable procedure for detecting abscesses. Problems such as cell clumping can occur before injection, thus altering the normal distribution. Furthermore, accumulation of the labeled leukocytes in the colon, brain infarcts, and accessory spleens has been observed. Thus, these physiologic and pathologic conditions other than abscesses must be borne in mind to avoid false-positive diagnoses of abscess.