Planar cobalt-57 bleomycin scintigraphy compared with CT-scan in the diagnosis and staging of lung cancer.

OBJECTIVES: Cobalt-57 bleomycin accumulates in tumour cells and is a diagnostic aid for discriminating malignant and benign lesions. Published data indicate that planar cobalt-57 bleomycin scintigraphy (bleo-scan) is a sensitive and specific test in the diagnosis and staging of lung cancer. CT-scan was however not used in these studies. We tested the value of bleo-scan and compared the results with those of computed tomography (CT-scan). METHODS: Bleo-scan and CT-scan were obtained from patients who were consecutively investigated because of a suspicious lesion on their chest X-ray. RESULTS: In 59 patients carcinoma of the lung was diagnosed 49 times (83%). The sensitivity of bleo-scan was 90%, specificity was 30% and positive predictive value (PPV) 86%. CT-scan could not discriminate between malignant and benign lesions. Thirty-two of the 41 patients with non-small-cell lung cancer had pathological examination of mediastinal lymph nodes, revealing metastases in 47% of the patients. Bleo-scan and CT-scan, respectively, had a sensitivity of 53 and 87%, a specificity of 77 and 82%, and negative predictive values (NPV) of 65 and 87%. In the 49 lung cancer patients distant metastases were detected at 11 sites in 10 patients. Bleo-scan gave false-negative and false-positive results. CONCLUSIONS: Bleo-scan in (suspected) lung cancer adds too little to the diagnostic procedure to make it a routine procedure. CT-scan gives indispensable information about possible mediastinal involvement.

Graft regeneration and host liver atrophy after auxiliary heterotopic liver transplantation for chronic liver failure.

We studied the size of the liver graft and the host liver in six consecutive patients undergoing auxiliary heterotopic liver transplantation for chronic end-stage liver disease. In all cases, a liver reduced in size by left lateral hepatectomy was inserted. The sizes of the graft and host liver were estimated by planimetry of two-dimensional di-isopropyl iminodiacetic acid scintigrams taken 3, 7, 21, 90 and 180 days after surgery. Graft size increased from a mean of 12.2 cm2 (95% confidence interval = 10.2 to 14.1) on day 3 to a maximum of 14.8 cm2 (95% confidence interval = 13.4 to 16.1) on day 21 and remained stable thereafter; in contrast, the host liver decreased in size from 9.6 cm2 (95% confidence interval = 6.8 to 12.3) on day 3 to 3.9 cm2 (95% confidence interval = 3.0 to 4.8) at mo 6. We conclude that in patients with chronic liver failure, an auxiliary allograft reduced in size and placed adjacent to the host liver shows regenerative growth within 3 wk, whereas the host liver atrophies in 3 to 6 mo.

Auxiliary partial liver transplantation: imaging evaluation in 10 patients.

Auxiliary partial liver transplantation involves placement of a heterotopic graft in the subhepatic space, with the liver of the recipient left unaltered. We studied the values of three imaging procedures (Doppler sonography, diisopropyl iminodiacetic acid [DISIDA] scintigraphy, and cholangiography) to evaluate the transplant and the native liver after surgery in 10 patients. Special attention was paid to the Doppler waveform of the hepatic artery of the graft and to the resistive index. An increase of the index above 0.80 was not specific for, but was always associated with graft dysfunction (rejection, primary nonfunction, multiple organ failure, or portal vein thrombosis). DISIDA scintigraphy also lacked specificity and was of limited value in the detection of postoperative complications. It proved useful in routine imaging to monitor atrophy of the native liver and hypertrophy of the transplant. Cholangiography was useful for visualization of the biliary tree. Our experience suggests that these three noninvasive imaging procedures are sufficient for the proper postoperative evaluation of patients after auxiliary partial liver transplantation.

Combined measurements of plasma aromatic L-amino acid decarboxylase and DOPA as tumour markers in diagnosis and follow-up of neuroblastoma.

As neuroblastoma, the most common solid tumour in childhood, may contain all the constituents of the catecholamine biosynthesis cascade, some of these constituents may be produced in excess in a varying mixture reflecting the wide variability in expression of differentiated features of the tumour. We have measured plasma levels of norepinephrine (NE), epinephrine (E), dopamine (DA) and 3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (DOPA), and plasma activities of dopamine beta-hydroxylase (DBH) and aromatic L-amino acid decarboxylase (ALAAD) in 18 patients with neuroblastoma, in 13 at various times during the course of their disease. Activities of serum lactic dehydrogenase (LDH), serum levels of ferritin (FER) and neuron-specific enolase (NSE), and urinary vanilmandelic acid (VMA) were also determined. NE, E and DBH were found not to reflect tumour activity. In untreated active neuroblastoma DOPA or ALAAD (10 out of 10) or both (six out of 10) were clearly elevated. In all 13 patients where samples were obtained during chemotherapy, ALAAD activities fell within the normal range, while DOPA decreased more slowly. During relapse, DOPA and, especially, ALAAD, rapidly increased; in all six patients who had a relapse both DOPA and ALAAD were elevated. In complete remission (eight patients), ALAAD was normal in all patients, but DOPA remained elevated in the one patient who later experienced a relapse. Our preliminary conclusion is that combined measurements of plasma ALAAD and DOPA may be useful markers for neuroblastoma activity at diagnosis, but even more so in indicating residual disease (DOPA) and in the early detection of relapse (ALAAD).

Localisation of endocrine-related tumours with radioiodinated analogue of somatostatin.

Various endocrine-related tumours contain large numbers of high-affinity somatostatin receptors. 123I-labelled tyr-3-octreotide (tyr-3-SMS 201-995, a synthetic derivative of somatostatin) was used to localise such tumours in vivo with a gamma-camera. Positive scans were obtained for two meningiomas, two gastrinomas, and one carcinoid; negative scans were obtained for one insulinoma (in which unlabelled octreotide had no effect on insulin levels), one phaeochromocytoma, one adrenal carcinoma (octreotide had no effect on cortisol levels), and three medullary thyroid carcinomas (octreotide had no effect on calcitonin levels). Thus radioiodinated tyr-3-octreotide can label somatostatin receptors in endocrine-related tumours in vivo and can therefore be used for tumour localisation.

Detection of liver metastases. A prospective study comparing liver enzymes, scintigraphy, ultrasonography and computed tomography.

A prospective comparative study between liver enzymes, scintigraphy, ultrasonography and computed tomography for detection of liver metastases was performed in 113 patients who were eligible for operation for a carcinoma in the gastrointestinal tract. Twenty-three of the 113 patients (20 per cent) had liver metastases. The accuracy of scintigraphy was 79 per cent, of ultrasonography 85 per cent and of computed tomography 88 per cent. The results of these tests showed no statistical differences. Ultrasonography and computed tomography were significantly more accurate than alkaline phosphatase and gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (respectively P less than 0.01 and P less than 0.05). Taking into account cost effectiveness, simplicity and patient tolerance, ultrasonography is the test of choice for the detection of liver metastases.