Diagnosis of aortic aneurysm with radionuclide angiography

Aortic aneurysms may be well visualized by the use of rapid sequential scintiphotography immediately after the intravenous injection of a large dose of radioactive tracer. The examination is safe, simple, and rapid to perform. It may be used as a screening procedure in patients with unexplained thoracoabdominal pain or pulsatile masses when the diagnosis of aortic aneurysm is suspected. The one major drawback at this time is that the resolution obtained with scintiphotography falls short of that obtained with conventional radiography. Future developments in instrumentation and radiopharmaceuticals will allow further investigative work in the radioisotopic visualization of blood pathways.