[Imaging of secondary pulmonary changes in central bronchial carcinomas by F-18-FDG PET].

Aim: The presented study was performed in order to evaluate the potential interference of secondary pulmonary changes (dystelectasis, retention pneumonia) with bronchial carcinomas in F-18-FDG-PET.

Method: A retrospective analysis of F-18-FDG-findings in 33 patients with bronchial carcinoma (staging) was performed. Seven out of fourteen patients with central tumor localisation had secondary pulmonary changes (thorax-x-ray, CT), which were classified as dystelectasis or atelectasis in five cases and as retention pneumonia in two cases.

Non-131I-scintigraphy in the treatment and follow-up of thyroid cancer. Single-photon-emitters or FDG-PET?

With respect to further therapeutic options, whole-body 131I scintigraphy (WBS) is the most important functional imaging technique during treatment and follow-up of differentiated thyroid cancer. But in many patients, thyroid cancer tissue does not concentrate 131I and can therefore not be localized using WBS. In addition to morphologic techniques, which have a low specificity in many cases, other methods are necessary to localize tumor tissue in these patients.

[123I]IBZM SPECT for imaging of striatal D2 dopamine receptors in 56 schizophrenic patients taking various neuroleptics.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to compare the binding of various typical and atypical neuroleptics to striatal D2 dopamine receptors in schizophrenic patients.

Method: Fifty-six inpatients with schizophrenia, including 14 with schizoaffective disorder and one with schizophreniform disorder, were evaluated. Fourteen patients were neuroleptic free.

[Immunoscintigraphic detection of metastasis in malignant melanoma in the head and neck area].

The value of immunoscintigraphy in patients with metastatic malignant melanoma of the head and neck is compared with clinical, radiological and histological findings. 25 immunoscintigraphic examinations in 16 patients were evaluated. Scintigraphy was performed during primary and follow-up diagnosis of head and neck melanoma of the skin (n = 8), nose and sinuses (n = 3), petrosal bone (n = 1) and sclera (n = 1) as well as in cervical lymph node metastases of distant melanoma (n = 2) and melanoma of an unknown primary tumour (n = 1).

Planar and SPECT imaging with technetium-99m labeled antigranulocyte antibodies in bone and soft tissue infection.

Scintigraphy with technetium-99m labeled antigranulocyte antibodies including planar and SPECT imaging demonstrated areas of inflammation in bone and soft tissue of the thigh of a 38-year-old man who had a fracture of the femur 20 years earlier. The clinical potential of this imaging modality in the diagnostic assessment of inflammatory diseases is discussed.

Tc-99m labeled monoclonal antibodies against granulocytes (BW 250/183) in the detection of appendicitis.

Scintigraphy with Tc-99m labeled antigranulocyte antibodies (BW 250/183 MoABs) was performed in 32 patients with suspected appendicitis. Abdominal imaging (planar/SPECT) was performed 2 hours after injection of the tracer. All patients also had surgery and a histologic examination of the resected tissue.

[Diagnostic evaluation of acute scrotum--testicular perfusion scintigraphy].

The method of and the results obtained with testicular scintigraphy in the differential diagnosis of acute scrotal pain are described. Both sensitivity and specificity were found to be high and in excess of 90%. Misinterpretation of findings is rare and is seldom reported except in case reports.

[Current aspects of the pathology, diagnosis and therapy of C-cell carcinoma. A symposium held in Bonn, July 1991].

An essential element in the histological differentiation of medullary thyroid cancer (MTC) from other thyroid tumors is the use of immunohistochemical methods. The detection of calcitonin in the tumor cells is decisive. Factors which impair the prognosis of MTC are age (> 40 y), male sex, elevated DNA-content and mitotic activity of the tumor cells, immunoreactivity against dopa decarboxylase, histaminase and Leu-M1-antigen.

The role of nuclear medicine in oncology.

Nuclear Medicine offers screening methods for oncology such as bone and bone marrow scintigraphy. During the last two decades, special procedures have gained widespread application. This paper is centered around the "tumor-specific" radiopharmaceuticals.

Technetium-99m-labeled anti-granulocyte antibodies in suspected bone infections.

The introduction of 99mTc-labeled anti-granulocyte antibodies seemed to provide advantages in comparison with formerly used in vitro methods to label autologous white blood cells for inflammation imaging. For this reason, we have undertaken a study to evaluate the clinical significance of this method. Thirty unselected patients with suspected bone infections were studied prospectively using the monoclonal 99mTc-labeled anti-granulocyte antibody.

[99mTc-anti-granulocyte antibodies (BW 250/183) in the detection of appendicitis].

Scintigraphy with 99mTc-labeled anti-granulocyte antibodies (AGAb) was performed in 50 patients with suspected appendicitis. Sequential and static imaging as well as SPECT of the pelvis and abdomen was performed 2 h p.i.

[A comparison of 201Tl and 99mTc-MIBI in the follow-up of differentiated thyroid carcinomas].

12 patients with suspected recurrence of differentiated thyroid carcinoma following thyroidectomy, radioiodine therapy and, in some cases, external radiation therapy had 201Tl and 99mTc-MIBI scintigraphy. Except in one case, the findings concerning tumor localization and extension were identical. In all cases, locoregional lymph node metastases as well as osseous metastases were imaged by 201Tl and 99mTc-MIBI scintigraphy.

[Tumor scintigraphy using 123I-labeled estradiol in breast cancer--receptor scintigraphy].

The estrogen receptor (ER) status is an important factor for prognosis and endocrine therapy of breast cancer. Therefore 16-alpha-123I-iodoestradiol-17-beta (123I-E2) as a receptor-specific radiopharmacon was used for scintigraphic tumor detection in 62 patients suspected of breast cancer. The studies were performed as a multicenter trial (5 university hospitals) to validate the method and to overcome methodical problems.

[Increased sensitivity of whole-body scintigraphy with I131 for the detection of iodine-accumulating metastases by means of delayed imaging].

In the follow-up of thyroid cancer patients we sometimes observed discrepancies between elevated thyroglobulin levels and negative results of posttherapeutic or diagnostic scans 48 h and 72 h after oral application of 131I routinely. Consequently, delayed 131I scans (96 h and later) were performed in addition. In all cases, delayed 131I scans either showed a higher imaging quality or additional metastatic lesions.

Localization and activity of inflammatory bowel disease using 111In leukocyte imaging.

A prospective study was initiated to compare the clinically proven results concerning localization/extent and activity of inflammatory bowel diseases with those of 111In-oxine leukocyte imaging. All patients studied were completely examined with barium enema x-ray, clinical and laboratory investigations, and endoscopy with histopathology. A total of 31 leukocyte scans were performed in 15 patients (12 with Crohn's disease, 3 with ulcerative colitis).