What is a White Blood Cell Scan?
Posted by stephanie on December 10th, 2007
A WBC scan is a nuclear scan in which a radioactive material is attached to a sample of white blood cells. It is done to locate areas of infection or inflammation that are hidden from traditional tests. Blood is taken from one of your veins. White blood cells are separated from the rest of the blood sample and then mixed with a small amount of a radioactive material (radioisotope) called indium-111. The cells with the radioactive material are considered “tagged.” About 2 or 3 hours later, the tagged white blood cells are returned to your body through injection into a vein. The tagged cells gather in areas of inflammation or infection.
Approximately 24 hours later, your body is scanned. You lie on a table. The scanner looks like an x-ray machine. It detects the radiation given off by the radioactive white blood cells. A computer converts the detected radiation into an image that can be viewed on a screen or recorded on film. The scan takes about 1 or 2 hours. The scanner is usually located in a hospital, but often the test can be performed on an outpatient basis. After the test is completed, no recovery time or special precautions are necessary.
A normal result means there are no accumulations of tagged cells (except for a certain amount in the liver and spleen, which normally accumulate white blood cells). Abnormal results usually suggest an active inflammation or infection, such as a liver abscess or abdominal abscess.