Varices: A potential pitfall in gastrointestinal bleeding scan interpretation

Gastrointestinal bleeding scans are extremely useful for localizing the source of gastrointestinal bleeding before interventional radiology procedures. It is essential that physicians understand the numerous possible pitfalls when interpreting these scans. Understanding the potential causes of false-positive scan interpretation eliminates unnecessary procedures for the patient and minimizes costs. We report a case of a patient with cirrhosis who presented with gastrointestinal bleeding to emphasize intra-abdominal varices as a potential cause of false-positive bleeding scan interpretation. In addition, we reinforce the criteria needed for diagnosis of gastrointestinal bleeding on the nuclear bleeding scan.