Sutdies of Liver Scintigrams by ^99mTc-Sodium Phytate

Abstract

Inositol hexaphosphate occurs in nature either free or in compounds (phytic acid) . It is soluble in water and becomes a microcolloid by chelating serum calcium after intravenous injection, and forming insoluble calcium phytate, which undergoes reticulo-endotheli al localization.
The case reports were made on all patients who had liver scan studies between August and December, 1973. Eighty-eight patients were studied with a total of 96 liver scan with ^99mTc-phytate, among these patients eighteen were studied of their hepatic blood flow with ^99mTc-phytate and ¹⁹⁸Au-colloid simultaneously.
Labeling of ^99mTc-phytate was easy and stable for long time and only few free technetium was revealed (labeling yield: average 93.6%) .
The blood clearance of ^99mTc-phytate was slower than that of ¹⁹⁸Au-colloid. This suggests that the liver scan must begin more than twenty minutes after injection. Comparing with the affinity of reticuloendothelial systems, ^99mTc-phytate has higher accumulation to the spleen than that of ¹⁹⁸Au-colloid.
^99mTc-phytate is a useful diagnostic scanning agent of the liver and spleen. Because of its superior physical characteristics excellent scans are readily obtained with minimal radiation to the patient and there have been no side effects who have received ^99mTc-phytate.