Is somatostatin receptor scintigraphy suited to detection of acute infectious disease?

Fast and accurate delineation of acute infectious foci is very important for adequate management of patients. All currently available scintigraphic techniques require a relatively long timespan between referral to the nuclear medicine department and final diagnosis. Small peptides that bind to receptors on cells in the infectious focus might improve the diagnostic possibilities. Since activated leukocytes express somatostatin receptors, 111In-octreotide, a somastostatin analogue, was tested for its usefulness in detecting acute infection in rats with a calf muscle infection caused by Staphylococcus aureus. 111In-octreotide was compared with the much larger protein 111In-labelled human nonspecific immunoglobulin G (111In-IgG). As early as 0.5 h after injection, the 111In-octreotide uptake in the abscess was significantly lower than that of 111In-IgG. Moreover, no 111In-octreotide retention in the abscess over time was noted. In conclusion, somatostatin receptor imaging does not allow scintigraphic detection of an acute infectious lesion. The uptake in an abscess is relatively poor compared to 111In-IgG.