RADIONUCLIDE LEVEEN SHUNT STUDY

DATE: 10/4/2005

PROCEDURE: After obtaining informed consent, an area in the left lower abdominal quadrant was sterilely preped, draped, and locally anesthetized. A 25 gauge needle was introduced into the peritoneal cavity allowing ascitic fluid to be aspirated into a sterile syringe. 99m Tc-macroaggregates of albumin (MAA) was injected intraperitoneally followed by the sterile ascitic fluid as a flush. Serial anterior projection images of the lungs were obtained.

RADIOPHARMACEUTICAL DOSE: [4] mCi

Clinical History: The patient is a [...]-year-old [fe]male with history of LeVeen shunt placement for ascites, referred for evaluation of shunt patency. 

FINDINGS:

Diffuse tracer activity is seen in the abdomen and lungs bilaterally.

Diffuse tracer activity is seen in the abdomen.

No tracer activity is identified above the diaphragm within the one-hour image acquisition period.

CONCLUSIONS:

Tracer activity in the abdomen and bilateral lungs, consistent with a patent LeVeen shunt.

Absence of tracer activity above the diaphragm consistent with an occluded LeVeen shunt.

Thank you for referring this patient to the UCLA Nuclear Medicine Clinic.

I, [...], M.D., Ph.D. have reviewed this Nuclear Medicine study personally, and am in full agreement with the findings of the report presented here.