Detection of nasal hyperemia by blood pool scintigraphy: correlation with allergic rhinitis

Objective: The present work aimed to evaluate the correlation of nasal hyperemia, as detected by blood-pool scintigraphy, with the presence and severity of allergic rhinitis. Methods: 19 patients with allergic rhinitis and 16 normal individuals were submitted to scintigraphy from 1 to 5 minutes after the administration of 99mTc-red blood cells. Semiquantitative indexes were obtained by the comparison of activity detected in nasal (N) and maxillary (M) regions of interest with that detected in a frontal ROI. Results: Nose and paranasal sinuses activity were increased in the patients with allergic rhinitis as compared to the control group, as shown by N and M indexes (N=4.3∫0.8 x 3.6±0.6, p=0.008; M=3.4±0.5 x 3.0± 0.5, p=0.009). When the uptake intensity was compared to a clinical score of severity, there was no statistical significance. Conclusion: Increased nasopharyngeal uptake is a common finding after the administration of various radiopharmaceuticals and may be related to high prevalence diseases, such as allergic rhinitis