Hemangioblastoma: An Unsuspected Pitfall in PSMA PET/CT.

Hemangioblastoma (HB) is the most common primary intra-axial posterior fossa tumor in adults and is a benign vascular neoplasm. We report the case of a 73-year-old man suffering from biochemical recurrence of prostate cancer where intense overexpression of prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) was observed in HB in a PSMA PET/CT. Overexpression of PSMA in tumor-associated vascular structures has been proposed as an explanation of PSMA ligand uptake in several nonprostatic tumors.

Inter- and intra-observer reproducibility of quantitative renographic parameters of differential function and renal drainage in children.

Purpose: To evaluate inter- and intra-observer reproducibility of renographic quantitative parameters of input and output in children.

Methods: 100 children with unilateral or bilateral uropathy were selected, aiming to cover the entire range of ages, overall glomerular filtration rate (GFR), differential renal function (DRF) and quality of drainage. Renograms were acquired and processed according to the EANM guidelines, using a non-commercial software.

Late renal sequelae in intravenously treated complicated urinary tract infection.

Background: The treatment of complicated urinary tract infection in children is still a matter of debate. In our hospital, antimicrobial treatment is initiated intravenously, and the duration of this treatment is adapted according to the results of a Tc-99m dimercaptosuccinic acid (DMSA) scintigraphy.

Aim: This study was conducted to evaluate retrospectively the frequency and the importance of late renal sequelae when treating intravenously for 7 days those patients with an abnormal acute DMSA.

Is normalized residual activity a good marker of renal output efficiency?

Background: Output efficiency (OE) and normalized residual activity (NORA) are two parameters that allow quantifying the renal drainage at any moment of renographic acquisition. Although OE is theoretically more accurate than NORA in case of a decreased overall renal function, both parameters present some weaknesses.

Objectives: To compare both parameters and to evaluate whether the clinical information provided by both parameters is identical.

Educational impact of discussing results among nuclear medicine physicians participating in interobserver reproducibility studies: our experience with I-123 FP-CIT SPECT.

Objectives: In nuclear medicine, reproducibility studies allow the assessment of the robustness of a technique. They could also be used in continuing education. This study evaluates this educational impact.

Can severely impaired cortical transit predict which children with pelvi-ureteric junction stenosis detected antenatally might benefit from pyeloplasty?

Introduction: Until recently, renogram, performed in children with pelvi-ureteric junction stenosis detected antenatally, has not been able to predict the probability of function improvement after surgery or the risk of function deterioration in case of conservative attitude. Recently, Schlotmann et al. have suggested that cortical transit might have this predictive role.

Interobserver reproducibility of the interpretation of I-123 FP-CIT single-photon emission computed tomography.

Objectives: I-123 ioflupane (FP-CIT) single-photon emission computed tomography is a recognized tool in the diagnosis of Parkinsonian syndromes. In practice, data interpretation relies on visual and semiquantitative analyses. Good interobserver reproducibility is a prerequisite before claiming the robustness of a technique.

Normalized residual activity and output efficiency in case of early furosemide injection in children.

Objective: Values for output efficiency (OE) and normalized residual activity (NORA) in paediatric patients have been published previously. However, it is now a usual practice to inject furosemide at the beginning of a renogram acquisition (F0 procedure). The aim was to evaluate OE and NORA obtained on F0 renograms, in normal and abnormal paediatric kidneys.

Clinical value of FDG-PET/CT for the diagnosis of human immunodeficiency virus-associated fever of unknown origin: a retrospective study.

Aim: The aim of this study was to evaluate retrospectively the usefulness of [18F]fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG)-PET/ computed tomography (CT) in patients affected by human immunodeficiency virus and suffering from fever of unknown origin (HIV-associated FUO).

Material And Methods: Ten patients (six males, four females, age 24-48 years) suffering from HIV-associated FUO were studied by FDG-PET/CT. Final diagnosis was established either by microbiological or histopathological analysis or by a more than 6-month follow-up.

Interobserver reproducibility in reporting on renal cortical scintigraphy in children: a large collaborative study.

Objective: To evaluate the interobserver reproducibility in reporting on technetium-99m (99mTc) dimercaptosuccinic acid (DMSA) scan in children.

Methods: Sixty 99mTc-DMSA scans, issued from three centres, were distributed by e-mail to nuclear medicine physicians from the five continents interested in paediatric nuclear medicine. Observers had to choose, for each kidney, among four answers: normal, abnormal, equivocal or poor quality.

Interobserver reproducibility in the interpretation of 99mTc-labelled white blood cell scintigraphic images.

Objective: This study was performed to investigate the interobserver reproducibility of the interpretation of Tc-labelled white blood cell scans combined or not with other nuclear medicine procedures.

Methods: Twenty nuclear medicine physicians working in Belgium received clinical data and scintigraphic images from 10 patients suspected of suffering from various infectious diseases. They had to choose, for each patient, one answer among 'high probability', 'intermediate probability' and 'low probability' of infection.

Escaping the correction for body surface area when calculating glomerular filtration rate in children.

Purpose: (51)Cr ethylene diamine tetraacetic acid ((51)Cr EDTA) clearance is nowadays considered as an accurate and reproducible method for measuring glomerular filtration rate (GFR) in children. Normal values in function of age, corrected for body surface area, have been recently updated. However, much criticism has been expressed about the validity of body surface area correction.

Inter-observer reproducibility in reporting on renal drainage in children with hydronephrosis: a large collaborative study.

Purpose: The goal of this study was to evaluate the inter-observer reproducibility in reporting on renal drainage obtained during (99m)Tc MAG3 renography in children, when already processed data are offered to the observers.

Methods: Because web site facilities were used for communication, 57 observers from five continents participated in the study. Twenty-three renograms, including furosemide stimulation and posterect postmicturition views, covering various patterns of drainage, were submitted to the observers.

Variability of the administered radioiodine doses for the treatment of hyperthyroidism in Belgium.

Objective: When using radioiodine for hyperthyroidism there is no consensus regarding the administration of fixed or calculated doses. Guidelines do not specify the preferable approach or the parameters to use to calculate the dose. Therefore, the dose might be quite different with regard to the chosen procedure.

Interobserver reproducibility in the interpretation of bone scans from patients suspected of having reflex sympathetic dystrophy.

Objective: This work was undertaken to identify scintigraphic patterns obtained in patients suspected of having reflex sympathetic dystrophy (RSD), now often referred to as complex regional pain syndrome, whose interpretations could be difficult.

Methods: Ten patients had bone scans because of clinical suspicion of RSD in the lower legs. They were selected retrospectively to have a wide sample of scintigraphic patterns.

Interobserver reproducibility in the interpretation of captopril renograms from patients suspected of having renovascular hypertension.

This work was undertaken to identify, in hypertensive patients suspected of having renovascular hypertension (RVH), scintigraphic images and curves whose interpretation could be difficult. The baseline and postcaptopril Tc-99m MAG 3 images and curves from 10 patients clinically suspected of having RVH were retrospectively selected to have a wide sample of images and curves. The data and a multiple-choice questionnaire were presented as a PowerPoint file, which was sent electronically to Belgian nuclear medicine physicians; they had to answer if the images and curves were or were not suggestive of the diagnosis of RVH or if it was impossible to answer.

Normalized residual activity: usual values and robustness of the method.

Unlabelled: The objectives of this study were 2-fold: first, to investigate the robustness of the normalized residual activity (NORA), a parameter that has recently been proposed for the estimation of renal emptying during renography; and second, to define the usual values of NORA in 2 categories of kidneys-those with a normal renogram and those that are dilated but definitely unobstructed.

Methods: NORA was defined as the renal activity at a given moment (end of renogram, end of furosemide acquisition, image after micturition) divided by the renal activity between 1 and 2 min. Two variables that might influence the results of NORA were evaluated: the choice of background correction, and an error in the estimation of the 1- to 2-min renal activity.