GALLIUM 67 CITRATE SCANNING IN PATIENTS WITH PULMONARY SARCOIDOSIS

Twenty-nine patients with biopsy proven pulmonary sarcoidosis in various clinical stages of activity were studied with gallium 67 citrate scans.If the chest roentgenogram was normal, we were not able to demonstrate any abnormal pulmonary accumulation of gallium 67, regardless of the patient’s subjective complaints. Eight patients had abnormal gallium 67 accumulation in the hilar region with no roentgenographic evidence of hilar lymphadenopathy. Gallium 67 uptake in the pulmonary parenchyma or hilar regions correlated poorly with clinical activity.Large doses of steroids decreased the uptake of gallium 67 in the pulmonary parenchyma and hilum in 3 patients. Although the mechanism of gallium 67 accumulation in pulmonary sarcoidosis remains to be determined, its measurement may prove to be a useful new index of disease activity before, during and after therapy.