AB0098 Gallium scans and polymialgia rheumatica

Background Objectives We evaluated utility of gallium scintigraphy to the diagnose of polymialgia rheumatica (RPM). Methods Gallium scans were performed in 7 patients (5 women, 2 men) diagnosed RPM according to American College of Rheumatology (ACR) criteria. Mean age were 65 years. Temporal pulses were palpable in all of them. All were taking corticosteroids. None of patients had any other known or clinically inflammatory or granulomatous disease. Scintigraphy with gallium is non-invasive diacritic procedure that could help to locate the vasculitic process. All scintigraphies were performed in the Nuclear Medicine Unit of Clinica Platon. Results Scintrigraphy of temporal region don’t show an uptake of gallium radionuclide in this localization. Conclusion Gallium scans confirmed that patients were correctly diagnosed of RPM, because we didn’t see an uptake of studied area, like in temporal arteritis due to the granulomatous vasculitic process.