Tc-99m MAG3 Renal Scan in Children: A Comparative Study with I-131 Hippuran Renal Scan

Kim, Dae Young; Kim, Chun Il; Zeon, Seok Kil; Hyun, Jung Ae; Kim, Kwang Sae

Abstract

To investigate the efficacy of Tc-99m MAG3 for renal scan, the images and renograms of Tc-99m MAG3 were compared to those of I-131 hippuran. Tc-99m MAG3 diuretic renal scan and I-131 hippuran diuretic renal scan were undertaken in 16 children with upper urinary tract anomalies within the time interval of 2 to 3 days. Their ages ranged from 1 week to 11 years old, and the male-to-female ratio was 14 to 2. Of these patients, 9 patients were less than 1 year old. The spectrum of upper urinary tract anomalies were unilateral ureteropelvic junction obstruction in 7 cases, bilateral ureteropelvic junction obstruction in 5 cases, bilateral non-obstructing non-refluxing megaureter, unilateral non-obstructing non-refluxing megaureter, bilateral obstructing megaureter and unilateral ulticystic dysplastic kidney in 1 case respectively. The images of Tc-99m MAG3 showed better resolution than those of I- 131 hippuran. The parameters of the Tc-99m MAG3 renogram in total functioning renal units, such as time to peak renal activity(r=0.98), half-time clearance to peak(r=0.88), half-time clearance after diuretic injection(r=0.96) and relative renal function(r=0.90), were correlated well with those of I-131 hippuran. In conclusion, Tc-99m MAG3 diuretic renal scan is considered to have a high potential to replace I-131 hippuran in routine radionuclide renal studies as well as renal tubular function test.