Indium-111 platelet scintigraphy in a patient with chronic disseminated intravascular coagulation

The authors describe a relation between the in vivo localized consumption of In-111 platelets and results of laboratory tests in a 82-year-old man with an aortic graft prosthesis who had chronic disseminated intravascular coagulation. In-111 platelets accumulated markedly over the abdominal aortic graft with a shortened platelet survival time and reflected changes in hematologic studies, which showed low platelet counts and a high concentration of fibrinogen degradation products in the plasma. If a strong clinical likelihood of local disseminated intravascular coagulation exists, then In-111 platelets may be valuable in localizing the focus of platelet consumption.