Comparison of 18F-FDG positron emission tomography/computed tomography and computed tomography in patients with already-treated breast cancer: diagnostic and prognostic implications.

AIM: The purpose of the study was to assess the comparison of 18F-FDG PET/CT and CT in patients with breast cancer (BC) already treated with primary therapy, in evaluating the diagnostic and prognostic values. METHODS: We retrospectively studied 190 patients (187 women and 3 men, mean age 61±11 years) with previous BC (all stages) after surgery and other primary treatments. They underwent within three months CT and 18F-FDG PET/CT examinations for the evaluation of disease status. Disease relapse was confirmed by clinical evaluation and/or radiological findings. Survival curves of disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) were computed using Kaplan-Meier method. Cox analysis regression was used to determine predictive factors of DFS and OS. RESULTS: Of the overall 190 patients, 82 (43%) had evidence of clinical and/or imaging disease relapse, while 108 (57%) did not. Sensitivity, specificity, negative predictive and positive predictive values for disease relapse or progression were of 89% vs. 77%, 73% vs. 53%, 90% vs. 75% and 72% vs. 55%, respectively for PET/CT and CT. DFS curves were significantly different in patients with both negative and positive PET/CT and CT (log-rank test 33.6; P<0.0001 and 12.7; P=0.003, respectively). OS curves were similar in patients with positive/negative PET/CT and CT (P=NS). By both univariate and multivariate Cox regression analysis positive PET/CT was found to be related to the disease recurrence (HR 0.18 and 0.20, both P<0.0001, respectively). CONCLUSION: PET/CT is more accurate than CT in identification of disease relapse in a large population of BC patients. In women at high-risk of recurrence, PET/CT imaging can provide the early detection of BC metastases, tailoring a proper treatment.

Synovial sarcoma: CT imaging of a rare primary malignant tumour of the thorax.

PURPOSE: This paper presents computed tomography (CT) features of three patients with primary synovial sarcoma of the lung (PSSL) who came to our attention and underwent surgery; reviews of the literature on this rare thoracic tumour are also presented. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The patients, all men, with a mean age of 58 years, underwent clinical and radiological re-evaluation after receiving a histological diagnosis. None of the patients had multifocal disease or other concomitant neoplasms. All patients had undergone both chest X-rays and computed tomography, and two had also been studied with positron emission tomography (PET)-CT. Two patients underwent surgical removal of the tumour, whereas the third initially underwent surgery (following an incorrect diagnosis) and then thoracoscopic biopsy of the pleural lesions that subsequently arose. RESULTS: In each case, chest X-rays showed changes, with the presence of pulmonary masses noted in all patients. In one patient, pleural effusion was also visible. CT scans showed parenchymal masses that were largely of a colliquative nature (in two out of three patients). Ipsilateral pleural effusion was present in two patients, associated in one with solid nodules within the pleura. Mediastinal lymphadenopathy, which was not radiologically significant, was present in only one patient. The two patients who also underwent PET-CT examination showed pathological tracer uptake confined to the lesion site without other thoracoabdominal or musculoskeletal localisations. CT-guided biopsy, performed in one patient only, was positive for mesenchymal tumour. In the two patients who underwent surgery, a definitive diagnosis of monophasic synovial sarcoma of the lung was made. The diagnosis of monophasic synovial sarcoma in the third patient was confirmed using thoracoscopic biopsy DISCUSSION: Both in the cases described and in those identified in the literature review, standard chest X-rays mainly showed a parenchymal mass of pleural origin with either irregular or well-defined margins. CT characteristics are more definite, with evidence of a mass with regular and sharply defined margins, occasionally polycyclic, with inhomogeneous density due to the presence of colliquative areas within the tumour. CONCLUSIONS: Although PSSL is a rare tumour, a pulmonary mass of inhomogeneous density, associated with pleural effusion but without lymphadenopathy, detected in an asymptomatic or poorly symptomatic patient, should lead to PSSL being considered in the differential diagnosis, provided that metastases from the more common synovial sarcomas of the musculoskeletal system have been excluded.

Anal endosonography and fistulography for fistula-in-ano.

PURPOSE: In this study, a comparison was made of the accuracy and clinical usefulness of anal endosonography and fistulography in the preoperative classification of fistulas-in-ano. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 113 patients with a clinical diagnosis of cryptoglandular fistula-in-ano who were awaiting surgery were included in this retrospective review. Patients were preoperatively investigated by anal endosonography and/or modified fistulography by inserting a Foley catheter into the rectum and a metal ring close to the anus. The catheter and ring served as radiopaque anal markers. Fistula classification obtained by the two diagnostic modalities was compared with surgical classification as the criterion standard. RESULTS: Endoanal ultrasound and fistulography identified 82.8% and 100% of primary tracks, 79% and 74.2% of internal openings, 98% and 91.8% of secondary tracks and 92.9% and 87.8% of abscesses, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Anal endosonography and fistulography with radiopaque markers are important complements to surgical exploration for investigating anal sepsis and may be of value to the surgeon in planning a therapeutic strategy.

Are Hodgkin and non-Hodgkin patients at a greater risk of atherosclerosis? A follow-up of 3 years.

Aims and background are to ascertain whether Hodgkin and non-Hodgkin patients are more affected by atherosclerotic process. We studied 96 patients during a period of 3 years (2003-2007). Patients were assessed in the first year soon after receiving radiotherapy and chemotherapy and then reassessed in the third year. All the cases underwent echo-colour Doppler of the carotid axis, and the intima-media thickness (IMT) was measured. When the two time points were compared, the IMT was greater in the arterial district examined at the first assessment; while at the second there was a reduction in the IMT, so patients seemed to improve with time. Flow-mediated dilatation did not improve. Hodgkin and non-Hodgkin patients experience an increase in IMT during treatment, but afterwards they return in their precedent condition. They seem to have a persistently reduced flow-mediated dilatation. Lymphoma therapy probably predisposes patients to early atherosclerosis, and it would be worth trying to reverse this tendency by administering antioxidant therapy.

Colonic total and segmental transit times in healthy Italian adults.

PURPOSE: This study was done to determine colonic transit times in healthy Italian adults. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Institutional review board approval and informed patient consent were obtained. Colonic segmental radiopaque markers were counted and transit times calculated in 36 healthy subjects studied using a technique involving daily radiopaque marker ingestion and single radiological visit, with oral administration of 8-10 ml of a thick barium paste as a colonic trace for the marker count. Two independent radiologists counted the marker twice. Observer agreement was assessed using comparison analysis. RESULTS: There was very good observer agreement for the segmental marker counts. The upper limit for colonic transit times was: 45.6 h in the colon as a whole, 31.2 h in the right colon, 19.2 h in the left colon and 16.8 h in the rectosigmoid. Colonic transit times were not gender-related. CONCLUSIONS: In healthy subjects, a barium trace affords optimal visibility of the different colonic segments, enabling accurate location of all markers and thus providing an anatomy-related, repeatable and reproducible fluoroscopic segmental marker count. We suggest that the reference values for normal colonic transit times could be adopted for Italian people irrespective of gender.

Prediction of rectal lymph node metastasis by pelvic computed tomography measurement.

AIM: Rectal cancer staging represents a crucial step to select the best treatment for this tumour. Particularly after neo-adjuvant chemoradiotherapy (CRT), it may influence the surgical procedure (e.g. radical resection vs. local excision). The aim of this study was to determine the best lymph node size cut-off at computed tomography (CT) to predict nodal metastasis in rectal cancer patients with and without preoperative CRT. METHODS: A consecutive series of patients operated on for primary mid-low rectal adenocarcinoma, all staged with pelvic CT scan, were subdivided as follows: those who underwent surgery alone treatment without CRT (Group A) and those who underwent preoperative CRT (Group B). All CT scans were re-viewed by a single radiologist and, based on the lymph node size, findings were compared with pathologic lymph node status (pN). At each lymph node size cut-off value, the following were calculated: accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV) and negative predictive value (NPV). The best cut-off value was defined as having an accuracy >or=70% with the highest NPV. RESULTS: The study population consisted of 162 patients: Group A (n=52) and Group B (n=110). Patients classified as pN-positive (n=45) had a higher number of and larger sized lymph nodes by CT scan than patients classified as pN-negative (n=117). The cut-off values with an accuracy >or=70% ranged between 7 and 11 mm in Group A and between 9 and 14 mm in Group B. The cut-off with the best NPV was 7 mm for Group A and 10mm for Group B. CONCLUSIONS: Acknowledging the limitations of the dimensional criterion, lymph node size cut-off values found in our study may be useful for planning rectal cancer treatment using CT scan.

Iodine-131 radio-guided surgery in differentiated thyroid cancer: outcome on 31 patients and review of the literature.

In the present study we investigated the role of radio-guided surgery with Iodine-131 (I-131) in a group of 31 patients with differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) and loco-regional recurrent disease. The principal inclusion criterion for I-131 radio-guided surgery in our protocol was the presence of an I-131 positive loco-regional disease relapse after previous total thyroidectomy and at least 2 ineffective conventional I-131 treatments. The protocol we used consisted of the following steps. Day 0: all patients were hospitalized and received a therapeutic 3.7 GBq (100 mCi) dose of I-131 after thyroid hormone therapy withdrawal in condition of overt hypothyroidism (serum TSH levels>30 microUI/ml). Day 3: a whole body scan following the therapeutic I-131 dose (TxWBS) administration was acquired. Day 5: neck surgery was performed through a wide bilateral neck exploration using a 15-mm collimated gamma probe, measuring the absolute intra-operative counts and calculating the lesion to background (L/B) ratio. Day 7: post-surgery TxWBS was performed using the remaining radioactivity to evaluate the completeness of tumoral lesions extirpation. The final histologic examination showed the presence of 184 metastatic foci; among them, 98 (53.2%) were evident by both TxWBS and gamma probe evaluation, 76 (41.3%) were demonstrated only by gamma probe, and 10 (5.4%) were negative by both TxWBS and gamma probe evaluation. During follow-up (8 months to 4.9 years, mean 2.8 years), DxWBS, serum Tg levels off l-T4, and US showed absence of loco-regional disease in 25 patients (80.6%) while 6 patients had persistent disease. In conclusion, this protocol allowed us to identify neoplastic foci with high sensitivity and specificity, enabling us to remove loco-regional I-131 disease recurrences resistant to previous conventional I-131 therapies. Furthermore, the gamma probe allowed detection of some additional tumoral foci in sclerotic areas or located behind vascular structures that were not visualized at the pre-surgery TxWBS evaluation.

[(111)In]Pentetreotide SPECT scintigraphy in neuroendocrine tumors: variability of reconstructing parameters related to patient characteristics and each body part.

AIM: Multi-headvariable-geometry gammacamera, allow us to carry out multi-dimensional scintigraphic single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) studies, with the possibility of creating coronal, axial, sagittal, three-dimensional images like the last generation of multi-slice RMI or multislice CT scan. The aim of this paper is to weigh up the reconstruction parameters to apply in [(0111)In]Pentetreotide scintigraphy for evaluating neuroendocrine tumors and try to standardize them. METHODS: We have studied a group of 93 patients suffering from neuroendocrine tumors. Examination was carried out after administration of [111In] Pentetreotide with whole body and static acquisitions after 4 and 24 h, followed by SPECT acquisitions of head, thorax and abdomen after 24 h. RESULTS: The results obtained show that the Filtered Back Projection using Butterworth filter can produce images of greater resolution than the iterative reconstruction method. Moreover, the reconstruction parameters are easily standardizable for head and thorax while for the abdomen the choice of these parameters is more difficult. CONCLUSIONS: Our data show that filtered back projection with Butterworth filter is the best procedure to carry out a SPECT examination with [111In] Pentetreotide.

Accurate planning of minimally invasive surgery of parathyroid adenomas by means of [(99m)Tc]MIBI SPECT.

AIM: The aim of the study was to evaluate the clinical role or [(99m)Tc]MIBI SPECT in selecting primary hyperparathyroid (PHPT) patients for minimally invasive radioguided surgery (MIRS). METHODS: One hundred and forty-one consecutive PHPT patients were studied by a single-session [(99m)Tc]Percethnetate/[(99m)Tc]MIBI subtraction scintigraphy, followed by [(99m)Tc]MIBI SPECT in order to localize hyperfunctioning parathyroid adenoma (PA) and plan the surgical approach. RESULTS: A solitary PA was depicted at preoperative scintigraphy in 135 of 141 patients (95.7%), two or more PA in 5 patients, and was negative in 6 patients (4.3%). In 27 patients, the PA was located deep in the paraesophageal/paratracheal space. One hundred and twenty-four patients (in 18 of them the PA was located deeply in the neck) underwent successful MIRS using the low 37 MBq (1 mCi) [(99m)Tc]MIBI dose protocol. Intraoperative quick parathyroid hormone (QPTH) assay demonstrated a fall >50% in respect to the baseline value in all patients, confirming successful parathyroidectomy. After a follow-up of 6 to 37 months (median 18 months), no case of persistent/recurrent PHPT was recorded. When comparing the parathyroid to background (P/B) ratio measured at planar and SPECT preoperative scintigraphy with that measured intraoperatively with the gamma probe, a significant linear correlation was found between the SPECT and intraoperative gamma probe measurements (r = 0.91; P <0.01) while no correlation was found with planar scintigraphic data. CONCLUSIONS: Our data suggest that the P/B ratio calculated by means of [(99m)Tc]MIBI SPECT is more accurate in predicting the intraoperative measurements with the intraoperative gamma probe. Thus, a preoperative [(99m)Tc]MIBI SPECT acquisition should be recommended for a better selection of PHPT patients to offer MIRS.

99mTc-sestamibi radio-guided surgery of loco-regional 131Iodine-negative recurrent thyroid cancer.

AIM: We report here our experience in a larger series of differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) patients who had been treated by (99m)Tc-sestamibi radio-guided surgery (RGS) for (131)Iodine ((131)I)-negative loco-regional recurrent disease. METHODS: Fifty-eight patients with loco-regional (131)I-negative recurrent disease from DTC were studied with (99m)Tc-sestamibi directed RGS using a hand-held 11-mm gamma probe as an intra-operative detector. Patients were selected for RGS on the basis of (a) progressive increase of serum thyroglobulin (Tg) levels after first treatment during follow-up, (b) negative high dose (100 mCi, 3.7 GBq) (131)I whole-body scan, and (c) positive pre-operative (99m)Tc-sestamibi scintigraphy for the presence of loco-regional recurrent disease. There were 41 papillary (1 "tall" cell variant), 13 follicular and 4 Hürthle cells tumours. In 14 patients thyroid cancer recurred in the thyroid bed while cervical lymph node metastases were found in 37 patients, and 7 patients had recurrent disease both in the thyroid bed and in cervical lymph nodes. RESULTS: At bilateral neck exploration, 147 metastatic foci ranging from 4 mm to 51 mm in largest diameter (mean tumour diameter=17.3+/-9.5mm) were removed. Eighty-five of them (58%) had been pre-operatively identified at (99m)Tc-sestamibi scintigraphy. After RGS, serum Tg levels normalised in 43 of 58 patients (serum Tg<2 ng/ml--they were considered disease-free), serum Tg remained slightly increased in 12 patients without evidence of metastatic disease at scintigraphic and radiologic imaging (serum Tg<10 ng/mg--they were considered living with microscopic disease), while serum Tg significantly increased up to values>900 ng/ml in 3 patients who developed lung metastases. The mean lesion to background (99m)Tc-sestamibi uptake ratios decreased in all 58 patients (p<0.0001). Post-surgical follow-up ranged 6-72 months (mean+/-SD=29.6+/-13.5 months). The operating surgeon assessed RGS as very useful in 14 patients in whom metastatic foci were embedded in fibrotic tissues or located behind blood vessels, useful in 22 patients, moderately useful 17 patients and not useful in 5 patients. CONCLUSION: Our data suggest that a (99m)Tc-sestamibi intra-operative gamma probe can be used to identify and guide resection of recurrent loco-regional tumour in DTC patients with (131)I-negative loco-regional metastatic foci.

Natural history, diagnosis, treatment and outcome of medullary thyroid cancer: 37 years experience on 157 patients.

AIM: The analysis of a 37-year retrospective study on diagnosis, prognostic variables, treatment and outcome of a large group of medullary thyroid cancer (MTC) patients was conducted, in order to plan a possible evidence-based management process. METHODS: Between Jan 1967 to Dec 2004, 157 consecutive MTC patients underwent surgery in our centre: 60 males and 97 females, mean age 47.3 years (range 6-79). Total thyroidectomy was performed in 143 patients (91.1%); central compartment (CC) node dissection (level VI) in 41 patients; central plus lateral compartment (LC) node dissection (levels II, III, and IV) in 82 patients. Subtotal thyroidectomy was initially performed in 14 cases: 10 of them were re-operated because of persistence of elevated serum calcitonin levels. RESULTS: After a median post-surgical follow-up of 68 months (range 2-440 months), 42.9% of patients were living disease-free, 39.8% were living with disease, 3.1% were deceased due to causes different from MTC, and 3.2% were deceased due to MTC. The overall 10-year survival rate was 72%. At uni-variate statistical analysis (a) patient's age at initial treatment (>45 years; >/=45 years), (b) sporadic vs. hereditary MTC, (c) disease stage, and (d) the extent of surgical approach resulted as significant variables. Instead, at multivariate statistical analysis, only (a) patient's age at initial diagnosis, (b) disease stage, and (c) the extent of surgery resulted as significant and independent prognostic variables influencing survival. CONCLUSION: The presence of lymph node and distant metastases at first diagnosis significantly worsened prognosis and survival rate in our series. Early diagnosis of MTC is very important, allowing complete surgical cure in Stages I and II patients. Due to the relatively bad prognosis of MTC, especially for disease Stages III and IV, it appears reasonable to recommend radical surgery including total thyroidectomy plus CC lymphoadenectomy as the treatment of choice, plus LC lymphoadenectomy in patients with palpable and/or ultrasound enlarged neck lymph nodes.

Multimodal imaging of esophagus and cardia cancer before and after treatment.

PURPOSE: Prognosis and treatment of esophagus and cardia cancer (ECC) depend on the precision with which the disease is staged according to the American Joint Committee of Cancer (AJCC) criteria. Imaging modalities normally used in clinical staging are esophagography, esophagoscopy, endoscopic ultrasound (EUS), computed tomography (CT) and positron emission tomography- CT fusion (CT-PET). The combination of these methods is crucial in determining not only the right diagnosis but also the stage and follow-up after multimodal treatment. The purpose of our investigation was to define the role of each imaging modality in determining the most appropriate treatment options in patients with ECC. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Fifty-six patients with ECC diagnosed by X-ray of the upper digestive tract, endoscopy and biopsy were staged using EUS, chest and abdomen CT scan, and CT-PET. Thirty-four patients in stage II and 18 patients in stage III underwent surgery after neoadjuvant chemotherapy; four patients in stage IV were treated with the positioning of an endoprosthesis after chemoradiotherapy. In the 52 patients who had surgery, follow-up included digestive tract X-ray, endoscopy and CT of the chest and abdomen every 6-8 months for the first 3 years. CT-PET was only performed in patients with a clinical suspicion of recurrence and/or CT findings suspicious of persistent disease (12 cases). RESULTS: In all 56 patients, endoscopy, EUS, CT and CT-PET in combination were crucial in determining the site of disease, locoregional extent and depth of esophageal wall penetration (T), and any involvement of the mediastinal lymph nodes (N1), extrathoracic lymph nodes (M1) or hepatic metastases. In the locoregional staging of ECC before chemotherapy, we were able to differentiate T2-T3 from T4 in 40 patients; T4 disease was found in 12 potentially resectable cases. We were able to distinguish N0 from N1 in 12 patients. In four cases, the presence of small lymph node and/or liver metastases prompted positioning of an endoprosthesis. The specificity of CT in detecting small lymph nodes in the mediastinum was less than 50% while for CT-PET, it was more than 80%; EUS revealed sensitivity higher than 90% but a low specificity in seven cases. Only CT-PET revealed metastatic subdiaphragmatic lymph nodes (diameter <15 mm) in three cases. Presurgical restaging of the 18 patients (stage III) who had chemotherapy was based on endoscopy, EUS, CT of the chest and abdomen and CT-PET (only in suspected cases) and was compatible with surgery. Anastomotic recurrence was diagnosed in 16 patients by endoscopy with associated biopsy; any intramediastinal spread from anastomotic recurrences was evaluated by chest CT, and CT-PET in suspected cases. CONCLUSIONS: X-ray of the upper digestive tract and chest and abdomen CT scan are useful in preliminary evaluation of ECC. Endoscopy is particularly indicated for evaluating tumour morphology, taking biopsies for a histological diagnosis and the early diagnosis of anastomotic recurrences. EUS is indicated mainly for evaluating T stage before and after chemotherapy or chemoradiotherapy. CT-PET is extremely useful in identifying small mediastinal metastatic lymph nodes (N1) or extrathoracic lymph nodes (M1) and hepatic metastases (

Imaging before and after multimodal treatment for malignant pleural mesothelioma.

PURPOSE: Computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance (MR) and positron emission tomography (PET) have a very important role in the diagnosis of malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) in the choice of chemoradiotherapy alone or in combination with surgery and in evaluating possible recurrence. It is also essential for assessing the possible benefits of radical surgery (pleuropneumonectomy) in terms of patient survival. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We considered 28 patients suffering from MPM whose mean survival after diagnosis was 15-18 months. Sixteen of these patients had radiotherapy or chemoradiotherapy alone, according to standard protocols, while 12 also underwent surgery. The CT features of MPM were thoroughly examined, as was the role of PET and CT-PET in achieving accurate disease staging and consequent selection of candidates for surgery. RESULTS: Nine of the 12 patients who underwent pleuropneumonectomy had no significant survival advantage over the mean survival in the 16 who were not operated whereas the other three lived 1-3 years longer. Two patients underwent surgery after an optimal response to chemoradiotherapy, but both survived less than a year due to particularly aggressive recurrences. CONCLUSIONS: CT, PET and CT-PET are indicated for diagnosis and, above all, for staging of MPM, in the selection of patients who might benefit from surgery after neoadjuvant therapy and also in identifying small recurrences and/or remote metastases. Being highly specific, PET is essential in the follow-up of patients undergoing chemoradiotherapy alone and/or surgery. Each imaging modality has its advantages and limitations, but their combined use is crucial in determining the most appropriate treatment options for patients with MPM.

Minimally invasive (99m)Tc-sestamibi radioguided surgery of parathyroid adenomas.

In the last 10 to 15 years surgery of primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT) moved from the wide bilateral neck exploration to various types of limited neck exploration ranging from unilateral neck surgery to minimally invasive approaches as the minimally invasive radioguided parathyroidectomy. In contrast with the bilateral neck exploration, an accurate preoperative localizing imaging, which is mainly based on (99m)TC-sestamibi scintigraphy, is mandatory when planning a concise parathyroidectomy. Following imaging criteria, only a fraction of PHPT patients accounting for approximately 60% to 70% of all PHPT patients can be eligible for a minimally invasive parathyroidectomy. Only PHPT patients with a high probability to be affected by a solitary parathyroid adenoma showing a high (99m)TC-sestamibi uptake and with a normal thyroid gland should be offer a minimally invasive radioguided parathyroidectomy. The (99m)TC-sestamibi SPECT technique and the double-tracer 123-iodine or (99m)TC-pertecnetate/(99m)TC-sestamibi scintigraphic technique are the most sensitive and accurate preoperative imaging modalities and their utilization is recommended when considering a minimally invasive radioguided parathyroidectomy. Two main intraoperative procedures for the minimally invasive radioguided surgery have been described: the single-day protocol and the different-day protocol. In the single-day protocol a 740 MBq dose of (99m)TC-sestamibi is injected to the patient, scintigraphic imaging is obtained by dual-phase technique and then the patient is operated on within approximately 3 hours from radio-tracer injection. In the different-day protocol, a double-tracer parathyroid scintigraphy is obtained some days before surgery with the aim of better planning the type and extension of intervention. The day of intervention, for the purpose of radioguided surgery only, a low 37 MBq dose of (99m)TC-sestamibi is injected to the patient in the operating theatre a few minutes before the start of intervention. The main advantages of minimally invasive radioguided parathyroidectomy over the traditional wide bilateral neck exploration can be resumed as follows: a shortening in the operating and recovery time, possibility of local anesthesia, possibility of ambulatory surgery or same-day discharge, less postsurgical hypocalcemia, less postsurgical pain, favourable cosmetic results, benefits from a cost-analysis point of view.

A rare case of paraneoplastic cerebellar degeneration discovered by whole-body F-18 FDG PET.

A rare case of paraneoplastic cerebellar degeneration (PCD) in a 36-year-old woman is reported. She developed hyposthenia of the inferior limbs, diplopia, and disequilibrium in July 2001. Routine blood tests, tumoral markers, brain MRI, evoked potentials, and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) examination were substantially normal. The clinical syndrome rapidly worsened in the following 2 months; she was wheelchair-bound with marked limb ataxia. CSF showed an increase of the IgG index with oligoclonal bands; brain MRI remained negative. The patient's serum and CSF were analyzed to detect antineuronal antibodies; anti-Yo antibodies were found that is typical of PCD. No tumor was found until April 2003; repeated CT scan, ultrasound, and mammographic examinations were negative. A further worsening in clinical symptoms was observed with a complete loss of autonomy (Rankin score 5) despite the performance of immunosuppressive therapy. In April 2003, an F-18 FDG PET scan visualized an area of abnormal uptake in the upper outer quadrant of the left breast. Interestingly, brain F-18 FDG uptake was normal. Suspicious microcalcifications were found on a new mammography and malignant cells were disclosed at cytology. The patient was operated on and final histologic examination revealed an infiltrating ductal breast cancer. In the reported case, F-18 FDG PET played a crucial role in detecting the unknown primary tumor in a young patient with PCD.

[Role of CT/111In-octreotide SPECT digital fusion imaging in the localization of loco-regional recurrence of medullary thyroid carcinoma]. / Ruolo della tecnica digitale di fusione di immagini TC/111In-octreotide SPECT nella localizzazione di recidiva loco-regionale di carcinoma midollare della tiroide.

The case of a female patient affected by a sporadic medullary thyroid carcinoma (pT1N1aM0 at the onset) is reported. The patient had been initially treated by total thyroidectomy and lymphadenectomy of the central and lateral portions of the neck. During the following 30 years of follow-up, the patient experienced 3 consecutive loco-regional tumoral relapses. At the moment of each relapse, an increase of serum calcitonin levels has anticipated the subsequent detection of tumor deposits at clinical and radiological examination (ultrasound, CT scan). It is well known that, after multiple operations, the structures of the neck can present anatomical distortion and fibrosis that can interfere with ultrasound and CT scan interpretation. In the present patient, a scintigraphic examination with 111In-octreotide, that is a specific radio-tracer for somatostatin receptors, allowed to correctly visualize a tumoral relapse in the left thyroid bed, located in deep para-tracheal planes: in that site the CT scan only showed an unspecific solid mass. Furthermore, the utilization of a digital image fusion technique for CT scan and 111In-octreotide SPECT, furnished useful information for the purpose of planning an accurate re-intervention, both morphologic information (mass size, precise site of the mass and their relationship with the surrounding anatomical structures) and functional information (biological characterization of the mass that was classified as a neuroendocrine tumoral deposit with high density of somatostatin receptors.

Role of anti-granulocyte Fab' fragment antibody scintigraphy (LeukoScan) in evaluating bone infection: acquisition protocol, interpretation criteria and clinical results.

Scintigraphy using anti-granulocyte Fab' fragment (LeukoScan) was performed in a series of 220 consecutive patients with suspected bone infection referred to our centre between September 1999 and June 2002. Two protocols were compared for interpreting scans: (1) evaluation of early 4 h imaging alone (protocol A), and (2) evaluation both of early and delayed 24 h imaging (protocol B). Protocol A and protocol B showed equal values of sensitivity (91.9% in patients with diabetic foot and 84.2% in patients with joint prosthesis/peripheral bone implants). Conversely, specificity was higher adopting protocol B than protocol A: 87.5% vs 75.0% in patients with diabetic foot, and 85.7% vs 76.2% in patients with joint prosthesis/peripheral bone implants, respectively. In particular, an improvement in specificity using protocol B was found in those patients with infection and with only a mild LeukoScan uptake in the early 4 h imaging: in these patients an increasing uptake intensity pattern observed in the delayed 24 h imaging was indicative of infection while a decreasing pattern suggested a negative result. Instead, the evidence of a high uptake intensity in the early LeukoScan imaging was a strong indicator of infection and delayed imaging in these cases did not further improve specificity. In conclusion, in our experience, LeukoScan showed high sensitivity in diagnosing bone infection in patients with diabetic foot and joint prosthesis or other peripheral bone implants. Moreover, in patients with an early high LeukoScan uptake intensity further delayed images appears unnecessary for the purpose of diagnosing infection. In contrast in patients with an early mild LeukoScan uptake intensity only, delayed imaging appears to be recommendable for improving specificity.

Importance of radio-guided minimally invasive parathyroidectomy using hand-held gamma probe and low (99m)Tc-MIBI dose. Technical considerations and long-term clinical results.

AIM: (99m)Tc-MIBI radio-guided surgery results, obtained in a group of 141 patients with primary hyperparathyroidism (HPT), are reported. METHODS: All patients were preoperatively evaluated by a single day protocol based on double-tracer parathyroid scintigraphy and neck ultrasound, and then operated by the same surgical team. In 102 patients (72.3%) with a high scan/ultrasound probability of solitary parathyroid adenoma and normal thyroid gland, a minimally invasive radio-guided surgery was planned. In the other 39 patients (27.7%) with scan/ultrasound evidence of multi-glandular disease (n=8) or concomitant nodular goiter (n=31), the intraoperative gamma probe was used during a standard bilateral neck exploration. Intraoperative quick parathyroid hormone (PTH) levels were routinely measured. The minimally invasive radio-guided surgery technique we developed, consisted of: a) injection of a low 37 MBq (99m)Tc-MIBI dose in the operative theatre during anaesthesia induction, b) patient's neck scan with a hand-held gamma probe just before the surgical cut to localize the cutaneous projection of the parathyroid adenoma, c) intraoperative probe detection of the parathyroid adenoma and its removal through a small 2-2.5 cm skin incision. RESULTS: Minimally invasive radio-guided surgery was successfully performed in 99/102 patients (97.0%). The gamma probe was particularly useful in patients with an ectopic parathyroid adenoma in the upper mediastinum (n=11) or to the carotid bifurcation (n=1) or located deep in the neck (n=8). Minimally invasive radio-guided surgery was also obtained in 18/23 patients who had previously undergone thyroid/parathyroid surgery. The mean operative time for minimally invasive radio-guided surgery was 38 min. No major surgical complication was recorded. Conversion to bilateral neck exploration was required in only 3 cases because of intra-operative diagnosis of parathyroid carcinoma (n=2), and persistence of elevated quick PTH levels after removal of the preoperatively visualized parathyroid adenoma (n=1). Among patients treated by standard bilateral neck exploration, the gamma probe was useful in localizing a thymical enlarged parathyroid gland in 1 patient with multi-glandular disease, a parathyroid adenoma located deep in the neck in 4 patients with concomitant nodular goiter and an ectopic parathyroid adenoma to the carotid bifurcation in another. However, in some other patients with a parathyroid adenoma located near to the thyroid, it was difficult to intraoperatively distinguish the parathyroid adenoma from a MIBI avid thyroid nodule. CONCLUSION: It can be concluded that: (a) in primary HPT patients with high scan/ultrasound probability of solitary parathyroid adenoma and normal thyroid gland, the gamma probe appears to be an effective, rapid and safe technique to perform minimally invasive radio-guided surgery; b) a (99m)Tc-MIBI dose as low as 37 MBq appears to be adequate to successfully perform radio-guided surgery; c) the measurement of quick PTH is recommended during minimally invasive radio-guided surgery; d) minimally invasive radio-guided surgery can be performed also in HPT patients with previous parathyroid/thyroid surgery thus limiting surgical trauma; e) with the possible exception of parathyroid adenoma located in ectopic sites or deep in the neck, the gamma probe technique does not seem recommendable in HPT patients with concomitant nodular goiter.