The Nuclear Medicine of the Di Venere Hospital is the first in Puglia to adopt an innovative diagnostic method for the early identification of certain gastroenterological pathologies: it is the scintigraphy of the intestine with tauroselcholic acid (trade name SeHCat), a fundamental reference for diagnosing malabsorption of bile acids, a pathology that affects a relatively small number of patients, but which can be identified easily and quickly only with the scintigraphic method.
Through the renewal and expansion of the authorization for the possession of radiopharmaceuticals including 75Se-labelled tauroselcolic acid, the Nuclear Medicine of the ASL Bari can make use of a very modern, non-invasive diagnostic activity, to support and benefit gastroenterologists, especially in cases where which there is a need to test the hypothesis of bile acid malabsorption. Until now, patients were forced to move to other regions and which, on the contrary, from now on, is available to users in the province of Bari and the entire regional territory, also thanks to the strategic geographical position of the hospital Of Venus.
“It is a significant turning point for the expansion of the assistance offer of Nuclear Medicine – comments the general director of the ASL Antonio Sanguedolce, – the introduction of this niche method enhances even more the activity of Nuclear Medicine which offers transversal services, in support of various specialist branches and is an important part of the path of cancer patients within the ASL”.
To explain in detail what the new study of the intestine consists of, is the director of the UOC Nuclear Medicine, Dr. Domenico Rubini. “The newly introduced radiopharmaceutical for the study of bile acid malabsorption is 75Selenium-labelled tauroselcholic acid – explains Dr. Rubini – thanks to which it is possible to document with certainty and easily, with planar images, the malabsorption of bile acids and allow thus to gastroenterologists to prescribe the most appropriate therapy; the method boasts high sensitivity and specificity, and is able to predict the response to therapy”.