The aim of this overview article is to present the current possibilities of radionuclide scintigraphic small intestine imaging. Nuclear medicine has a few methods—scintigraphy with red blood cells labelled by means of for detection of the source of bleeding in the small intestine, Meckel’s diverticulum scintigraphy for detection of the ectopic gastric mucosa, radionuclide somatostatin receptor imaging for carcinoid, and radionuclide inflammation imaging. Video capsule or deep enteroscopy is the method of choice for detection of most lesions in the small intestine. Small intestine scintigraphies are only a complementary imaging method and can be successful, for example, for the detection of the bleeding site in the small intestine, ectopic gastric mucosa, carcinoid and its metastasis, or inflammation. Radionuclide scintigraphic small intestine imaging is an effective imaging modality in the localisation of small intestine lesions for patients in whom other diagnostic tests have failed to locate any lesions or are not available. 1. Introduction The aim of this paper is to present current possibilities of radionuclide scintigraphic small intestine imaging. Nuclear medicine has a few methods—scintigraphy with red blood cells (RBCs) labelled by means of for detection of the source of bleeding in the small intestine, Meckel’s diverticulum scintigraphy for detection of the ectopic gastric mucosa, somatostatin receptor scintigraphy for carcinoid imaging, and radionuclide inflammation imaging. Radionuclide scintigraphic small intestine imaging is an effective imaging modality in the localisation of small intestine lesions for patients in whom other diagnostic tests have failed to locate any lesions or are not available. To improve sensitivity, specificity, and location of the area of increased radioactivity abdomen SPECT/CT and PET/CT are recommended. The hybrid SPECT/CT (single-photon emission computed tomography/computed tomography) and PET/CT (positron emission tomography/computed tomography) of the abdomen allow true three-dimensional (3D) image acquisition and display, while at the same time improving the imaging interpretation and accuracy of scintigraphy. Reconstruction of cross-sectional slices uses filtered back or iterative projection. 2. Scintigraphy with Radiolabeled Red Blood Cells Effective and prompt therapy for acute gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding depends on accurate localisation of the site of haemorrhage. Anamnesis and clinical examination can often distinguish upper and lower GI bleeding. Upper GI tract and colon haemorrhage can be confirmed
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