When injected intravenously, Technetium Tc 99m Glucoheptonate is rapidly cleared from the blood. In patients with normal renal function, less than 15% of the initial activity remains in the blood after one hour. About 40% of the injected dose is excreted in the urine in one hour, while about 70% is excreted in 24 hours. In patients with renal disease, the blood clearance and urinary excretion of the radiopharmaceutical are delayed.
Up to 15% of the injected dose is retained in the kidneys. The renal retention is greater in the cortex than in the medulla. The radiopharmaceutical may be bound to the proximal convoluted tubules, which are located primarily in the renal cortex.
Technetium Tc 99m Glucoheptonate tends to accumulate in intracranial lesions that are associated with excessive neovascularity or an altered blood-brain barrier. The drug does not accumulate in the choroid plexus or salivary glands.