Effects of positive expiratory pressure on pulmonary clearance of aerosolized technetium-99m-labeled diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid in healthy individuals.

Objective:: To evaluate the effects of positive expiratory pressure (PEP) on pulmonary epithelial membrane permeability in healthy subjects.

Methods:: We evaluated a cohort of 30 healthy subjects (15 males and 15 females) with a mean age of 28.3 ± 5.

Comparison between preoperative and intraoperative injection of (99m)Tc Dextran-500 for sentinel lymph node localization in breast cancer.

A retrospective study was conducted from a review of the medical records of patients with early-stage, invasive breast cancer who underwent surgical treatment and sentinel node biopsy with a radiotracer from January 2008 to August 2012 at a single institution (221 patients included). The patients were grouped according to the time of (99m)Tc Dextran-500 injection, which was preoperatively (with lymphoscintigraphy) (81 patients) or intraoperatively (140 patients). The purpose of the report is to compare the results of sentinel node biopsy of early-stage breast cancer patients who were subjected to intraoperative (99m)Tc Dextran-500 injections with the patients who received preoperative injections.

Correlation between Breslow thickness and Technetium-99m-sestamibi uptake in cutaneous melanoma.

Background: Technetium-99m-sestamibi (MIBI) is a radiopharmaceutical that has well-known tumor-seeking properties. We evaluated the correlation between Breslow thickness and MIBI uptake by cutaneous melanoma (CM).

Material And Methods: Patients with suspicious melanocytic lesions received intravenous injections of 740-1,110 Mbq of MIBI.

Perfused lung volume to thoracic gas volume ratio (perfused lung fraction) in patients with COPD and in controls.

Background: The deterioration of the ventilation-to-perfusion distribution in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) reflects structural changes affecting both the airways and the blood vessels. These changes result in lung perfusion abnormalities that may be quantified by lung perfusion single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT).

Objective: To compare the perfused lung fraction (PLF) in patients with airflow obstruction and controls.

Quantitative parameters for the assessment of renal scintigraphic images.

Renal scintigraphy is a well-established functional technique for the visual evaluation of the renal cortical mass. It allows the visualization of the radiopharmaceutical tracer distribution, the size, shape, symmetry, and position of the kidneys. However, the (visual) analysis of these images tend to be subjective, causing significant variability in the interpretation of findings.

Scintigraphic sentinel node detection in breast cancer patients: paired and blinded comparison of 99mTc dextran 500 and 99mTc phytate.

Background: Breast cancer surgery has evolved towards minimizing morbidity, maximizing cure rates and stratifying treatments according to disease stage. Sentinel lymph node biopsy is becoming standard practice in most centres. However, no standard radiopharmaceutical exists.

Learning from panel boards: T-lymphocyte and B-lymphocyte self-tolerance game.

Immunology is a vast, complex and challenging subject. To facilitate students' understanding, the authors have created a T-lymphocyte and B-lymphocyte self-tolerance game. The T-lymphocyte self-tolerance game consisted of 24 cardboard pieces with illustrations and statements about self-tolerance mechanisms and one large panel board.