Different findings in Tc-99m MDP bone scintigraphy of patients with sickle cell disease: report of three cases.

OBJECTIVE: Sickle cell anemia is an inherited disorder caused by abnormal hemoglobin, the S hemoglobin. Although vaso-occlusive crises can occur virtually in any organ, they are particularly common in the bony skeleton of affected patients. Bone marrow necrosis, bone infarcts, osteomyelitis, and aseptic necrosis are common complications in patients with sickle cell disease. Beside these abnormalities of the skeletal system, diffuse micro or macro calcification resulting from both splenic infarction and repeated vaso-occlusive episodes in the kidneys can be shown by technetium-99m methylenediphosphonate (Tc-99m MDP) bone scintigraphy. We present here the different osseous and extraosseous abnormalities noted on bone scintigraphies of three patients with sickle cell anemia. METHODS: Whole-body bone scan was performed after injecting 740 MBq of Tc-99m MDP in three patients with sickle cell disease. RESULTS: Tc-99m MDP whole-body image of the first patient showed non-uniform uptake in the anterior and posterior aspects of multiple ribs and bilateral femurs and tibias that was attributed to repetitive infarcts. Additionally, increased activity in shoulders, right elbow, and right knee was consistent with arthritis. Tc-99m MDP image of the second patient demonstrated avascular necrosis of the left femoral head and diffuse activity in the enlarged kidneys. Increased activity in the spleen that was attributed to repetitive infarcts was visualized in bone scan of the third patient. CONCLUSIONS: In light of the findings in these cases, bone scintigraphy is a reliable imaging method in detecting both osseous and extraosseous abnormalities of sickle cell disease and may be used initially.

Evaluation of the effect of trimetazidine on Tc-99m methoxyisobutyl isonitrile gated scintigraphy in patients with coronary artery ectasia.

OBJECTIVE: Coronary artery ectasia (CAE) is the abnormal dilatation of a segment of the coronary artery to a diameter of at least 1.5 times that of normal adjacent segments. Symptoms are variable, and its prognosis and treatment modalities are unclear. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of trimetazidine (TMZ) on ischemic left ventricular function by rest-stress Tc-99m methoxyisobutyl isonitrile (Tc-99m MIBI) myocardial scintigraphy in symptomatic patients with CAE. METHODS: We included patients with ectasia admitted to our Cardiology Department, Turkey, between 2003 and 2004 in this study. All patients underwent coronary angiography and diagnosed with CAE, before and 4 weeks after TMZ administration. Seventeen patients (9 men, 8 women) underwent gated single-proton emission tomographic (SPECT) using Tc-99m MIBI. We performed quantitative global and regional ventricular functional analysis using quantitative gated SPECT software. RESULTS: The global ejection fraction increased from 59.9%+/-8.9% to 62.6%+/-8.3% after therapy (p=0.033). In addition, the end systolic volume and the end diastolic volume decreased after therapy (101.7+/-23.5 ml to 95.1+/-22.9 ml, p=0.002; from 41.1+/-14.3 to 36.4+/-13.6, p=002). In all segments, we observed significant post-therapy increases in relative tracer uptake. Percentage of MIBI uptake was 71.2+/-15.3 at baseline stress and 73.2+/-15 post-TMZ (p=0.001). As global function parameters, the total wall motion normal areas changed significantly (67-74% p=0.01) after therapy, but the total wall thickness did not changed significantly(49-45%, p=0.21). CONCLUSION: The results of this study demonstrate that TMZ improves myocardial function by rest-stress Tc-99m MIBI gated SPECT during stress-induced ischemia in patients with CAE. Also, the outcomes revealed improvement in functional parameters, and percentage of MIBI uptake post TMZ administration. We can use this procedure to monitor the effect of TMZ in CAE patients.