[Evaluation of the product-specific standard input function for the IMP-ARG method].

To confirm the previous reports demonstrating the difference in the octanol extraction fractions between the currently available two N-isopropyl-4-iodoamphetamine (123I) products (IMP(A) and IMP(B)), we newly developed the standard input function for IMP(B) in 19 healthy volunteers and compared it with the established standard input function, which has been originally generated with IMP(A). The octanol extraction fractions of IMP(B) were stable from 5 minutes to 16 minutes post injection and significantly higher than those of IMP(A). The mCBFs calculated with IMP(B) by using the established standard input function for IMP(A) tended to be higher than those with the combination of IMP(A) and the established standard input function though the difference was not significant. When measured with IMP(B) combined with the correspondent standard input function, mCBFs were identical to those calculated with IMP(A) with the established standard input function, suggesting that the appropriate standard input function should be used according to the product used.

Evaluation of breath-hold 201Tl SPECT in the differential diagnosis of solitary pulmonary nodules.

UNLABELLED: The aim of this study was to evaluate the usefulness of deep inspiration breath-hold SPECT (BrST, a method for 201Tl SPECT) in the diagnosis of solitary pulmonary nodules (SPN). METHODS: Ten patients with malignant lesions and five with benign lesions were enrolled in this study. Early SPECT acquisition was performed 15 min after injection of 201Tl, while delayed SPECT images were acquired 3 h after injection. The first 15-sec acquisition was done using the BrST technique, and the second with the conventional free breathing (FB) method. We performed this technique alternately, and therefore, the odd data were from BrST and the even data were from FB. We referred to the T/N ratio of the early images as the ER and to the T/N ratio of the delayed images as the DR. To semi-quantitatively evaluate the degree of retention in the lesion, the retention index (RI) was calculated. RESULTS: The RI of BrST indicated greater accuracy than that of FB in the differential diagnosis of SPN. For the benign and malignant lesions, the RI of BrST was -3.07 +/- 31.51 and 29.86 +/- 25.01, respectively (p < 0.05). The sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of BrST (80%, 80%, and 80%, respectively) were significantly higher than those of FB (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The BrST method is more accurate than that of the conventional FB method in the differential diagnosis of SPN.

Gallium-67 imaging in a patient with malignant thyroid lymphoma that spontaneously regressed after subtotal gastrectomy.

A patient presented with malignant thyroid lymphoma in association with Hashimoto disease. Abnormal, intense Ga-67 accumulation in the thyroid was seen. The patient underwent subtotal gastrectomy for cancer and the malignant thyroid lymphoma regressed spontaneously. Ga-67 accumulation in the thyroid also decreased. The resected stomach was positive for Helicobacter pylori. The patient achieved complete clinical response after H. pylori eradication. Regression of the malignant thyroid lymphoma might be related to H. pylori eradication and the subtotal gastrectomy.

A case of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma infiltrating the brachial plexus detected by Ga-67 scintigraphy.

The author reports a rare case of brachial plexus infiltration by non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. T2-weighted MRI showed high signal intensity along the right brachial plexus and soft tissue masses. Ga-67 scintigraphy showed abnormal tracer uptake along the course of the right brachial plexus, and was superior to MRI in detecting the abnormality.

A case of inferior vena cava thrombosis and pulmonary embolism secondary to acute exacerbation of chronic pancreatitis: a rare finding in radionuclide venography.

A rare case of inferior vena cava (IVC) thrombosis and pulmonary embolism secondary to acute exacerbation of chronic pancreatitis was reported. Radionuclide venography and lung perfusion scintigraphy were performed on a 46-year-old male with acute exacerbation of chronic pancreatitis who complained of mild swelling of a leg and shortness of breath. Scintigraphy showed an abnormal large hot spot at the level of the pancreas and a pulmonary embolism. Enhanced abdominal CT revealed an IVC thrombus and a cystic mass adjacent to the IVC. Despite the absence of severe abdominal pain, the serum amylase and elastase-1 levels were very high. These findings indicated that a pancreatic cyst had penetrated into the IVC, where it triggered the formation of a thrombus and caused a pulmonary embolism. Scintigraphic examination was useful for the evaluation of this rare condition.