Significance of ultrasound and gallium scanning in detecting intraabdominal abscesses

The diagnostic value of ultrasound was compared to that of gallium scan in 36 patients with clinically suspected intraabdominal abscesses. Both modalities reached an accuracy of 91.6%. The gallium scan was found to be more sensitive (93.3%) than ultrasound (86.6%), while the specificity rate of ultrasound (95.2%) was superior to that of the gallium scan (90.4%). It is suggested that, in the acutely ill patient, ultrasound should be the method of choice, whereas in the nonacute patient, either method may be used. A positive ultrasound examination and a negative gallium scan can be considered conclusive, whereas a negative ultrasound study or a positive gallium scan needs the complimentary support of the other modality in order to reach a definite conclusion.