Liver scan in hyperlipoproteinemia

Liver scans with technetium 99m sulfur colloid were obtained in 48 subjects with hyperlipoproteinemia who were being treated with various lipidlowering drug regimens or were receiving no therapy. Twenty-seven of the 48 liver scans were abnormal, but the abnormalities could not be firmly attributed to a specific lipoprotein phenotype or treatment regimen. Of the patients with elevated triglyceride levels, 71% had abnormal liver scans. Hypertriglyceridemia was present in 55% of the subjects with abnormal liver scans compared to 28% of the subjects in whom the scans were normal. Hyperlipoproteinemia should be considered as a possible associated factor in evaluating an abnormal liver scan.