Cholescintigraphy or hepatobiliary iminodiacetic acid scan (HIDA scan).
Useful in the detection of the gallbladder disease.
A nuclear imaging procedure to evaluate the health and function of the gallbladder.
A radioactive tracer, usually a 99Tc-iminodiacetic, is injected intravenously, then allowed to circulate to the liver, where it is excreted into the biliary system and stored by the gallbladder and biliary system.
In the absence of disease, the gallbladder is visualized within 1 hour of the injection of the radioactive tracer, and if not visualized within 4 hours after the injection, is indicative of either cholecystitis or cystic duct obstruction.
If an ultrasound examination of the abdominal right upper quadrant for pain fails to demonstrate gall stones, (or other obstruction to the gall bladder or biliary tree, the HIDA scan can be performed as a more sensitive and specific test.
The HIDA scan for acute cholecystitis has a diagnostic sensitivity of 97%, and specificity of 94%.
Compared to ultrasonography, cholescintigraphy has proven to be superior.
The scan is also important to differentiate between neonatal jaundice and biliary atresia.
99Tc Iminodiacetic Acid (HIDA/Lidofenin) is rarely used currently, as 99Tc Paraisopropyl Iminodiacetic Acid (PIPIDA), 99Tc Diisopropylacetanilido Iminodiacetic Acid (DISIDA/Disofenin) or 99Tc bromo-2, 4,6-trimethylacetanilido Iminodiaceticacid (BrIDA/Mebrofenin) have replaced it, but the term HIDA remains.