Clinical usefulness of single photon emission tomography/computed tomography with stress analysis in early diagnoses of stem instability of noncemented hip arthroplasty.

Objective: Hip pain arising from implant instability is generally caused by repetitive stress injury, which subsequently leads to induction or exacerbation of abnormal metabolism of bone around the implant. single photon emission tomography/computed tomography (SPECT-CT) has advantages in localizing areas of increased tracer uptake that reflects such abnormal bone metabolism. Therefore, we investigated whether the application of SPECT/CT with stress analysis can be an effective practice in evaluating the instability of stem in noncemented hip arthroplasty or not.

Dual-phase (99m)Tc-MIBI scintigraphy with delayed neck and thorax SPECT/CT and bone scintigraphy in patients with primary hyperparathyroidism: correlation with clinical or pathological variables.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to assess the relationship between (99m)Tc-MIBI and (99m)Tc-MDP bone scintigraphy and clinical or pathological variables, including preoperative serum PTH levels and tumor diameter, in patients with newly diagnosed PHPT.

Methods: Dual-phase (99m)Tc-MIBI planar scintigraphy was performed in 244 patients with PHPT. Of these patients, 155 underwent (99m)Tc-MDP bone scintigraphy to detect bone changes before parathyroidectomy.

Graves' disease in an adolescent with dual congenital ectopia and no orthotopic thyroid gland identified by Tc-99m-pertechnetate SPET/CT imaging.

This is the first case of Graves' disease in an adolescent with lingual and prelaryngeal dual congenital ectopia and no orthotopic thyroid gland identified by technetium-99m-pertechnetate (99mTcO-4) SPET/CT imaging in a 15 years old boy. After 8 weeks treatment with methimazole, Graves' disease subsided. Fine needle aspiration cytology of the mass revealed the normal colloid and normal follicular cells without an atypia or lymphoid elements, suggesting a benign ectopic thyroid gland.

Unusual case of solitary functioning bone metastasis from a "parathyroid adenoma": imagiologic diagnosis and treatment with percutaneous vertebroplasty--case report and literature review.

Background: Parathyroid carcinoma is a rare endocrine malignancy that accounts for a small percentage of patients with primary hyperparathyroidism. Here, an unusual patient with parathyroid carcinoma misdiagnosed as a parathyroid adenoma was reported. A solitary L4 vertebral metastasis, which was localized by technetium-99m-labelled methoxyisobutyl isonitrile ((99m)Tc-MIBI) single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT)/computed tomography (CT) fusing images, was successfully treated with percutaneous vertebroplasty (PVP) for the first time.

Brain metastasis from follicular thyroid carcinoma: treatment with sorafenib.

Background: Sorafenib has shown promise in the treatment of patients with advanced or metastatic thyroid carcinoma. However, its therapeutic effect has not been assessed in patients with brain metastases from follicular thyroid carcinoma (FTC). Here, we report a patient in whom this treatment was employed with a relatively favorable response.

Radiochemotherapy of hepatocarcinoma via lentivirus-mediated transfer of human sodium iodide symporter gene and herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase gene.

Unlabelled: Herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase (HSV-TK) gene/ganciclovir (GCV) system has been widely used as a traditional gene therapy modality, and the sodium/iodide symporter gene (NIS) has been found to be a novel therapeutic gene. Since the therapeutic effects of radioiodine therapy or prodrug chemotherapy on cancers following NIS or HSV-TK gene transfer need to be enhanced, this study was designed to investigate the feasibility of radiochemotherapy for hepatocarcinoma via coexpression of NIS gene and HSV-TK gene.

Methods: HepG2 cells were stably transfected with NIS, TK and GFP gene via recombinant lentiviral vector and named HepG2/NTG.

The role of radionuclide lymphoscintigraphy in chyluria.

The objective of this study was to study the characteristics of chyluria on radionuclide lymphoscintigraphy and evaluate the diagnostic value of radionuclide lymphoscintigraphy in chyluria. In this report radionuclide lymphoscintigraphy was performed in 41 cases of chyluria patients and the imaging results were retrospectively analyzed. Among 41 cases, 30 of them were caused by filariasis, 4 cases were secondary chyluria from abdomen surgery and 7 cases were caused by lymphangitis.

Response to sorafenib at a low dose in patients with radioiodine-refractory pulmonary metastases from papillary thyroid carcinoma.

Background: Sorafenib has shown promise in the treatment of patients with advanced or metastatic thyroid carcinoma. However, the optimal dose has not been established and data on Chinese population are not available. We conducted a study to assess the responses to sorafenib at a low dose of 200 mg twice daily in patients with progressive radioiodine-refractory pulmonary metastases from papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC).

Incremental value of 131I SPECT/CT in the management of patients with differentiated thyroid carcinoma.

Unlabelled: (131)I whole-body scintigraphy (WBS) is a highly sensitive method for the detection of differentiated thyroid tumors and metastases. However, a lack of anatomic landmarks and the physiologic accumulation of the tracer complicate interpretation of the images. This prospective study was designed to evaluate the incremental value of (131)I SPECT/CT over planar WBS in the management of patients with differentiated thyroid carcinoma (DTC).

Comparison of free plasma metanephrines enzyme immunoassay with (131)I-MIBG scan in diagnosis of pheochromocytoma.

Measurement of free plasma metanephrines (metanephrine and normetanephrine), usually performed by high-performance liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection (HPLC-ECD), has been recommended as the single biochemical test of choice for the diagnosis of pheochromocytoma. Alternatively, a widely available, simple means to measure these biomarkers with enzyme immunoassay (EIA) needs to be studied. The aim of this study was to investigate the diagnostic efficacy of such a method in comparison with (131)I-metaiodobenzylguanidine (MIBG) whole body scan (WBS) in patients with pheochromocytoma.

Preparation and bioevaluation of (99m)Tc-HYNIC-annexin B1 as a novel radioligand for apoptosis imaging.

Annexin B1, a novel Ca2+-dependent PS-binding protein, has been shown to have a high affinity for PS exposed on the surface of apoptotic cells. To develop and bioevaluate an annexin B1 based PS-targeting radiotracer, annexin B1 was radiolabeled with (99m)Tc using HYNIC as a bifunctional chelator. Binding assays with activated platelets and apoptotic SP2/0 cells were carried out to evaluate the in vitro biological activity of (99m)Tc-HYNIC-annexin B1.

The role of radionuclide lymphoscintigraphy in extremity lymphedema.

The characteristics of lymphedema on radionuclide lymphoscintigraphy were studied, and the diagnostic value of radionuclide lymphoscintigraphy in lymphedema was evaluated. In this report radionuclide lymphoscintigraphy was performed in 110 cases of clinically suspected lymphedema. A retrospective study method was used to analyze the imaging results.

99mTc-pertechnetate uptake in hepatoma cells due to tissue-specific human sodium iodide symporter gene expression.

Unlabelled: The sodium iodide symporter (NIS) gene could be used as an ideal reporter gene as well as a promising therapeutic gene. 99mTc-pertechnetate has proven to be more advantageous than 131I-iodide with respect to image quality, procedure and radiation dose in examination of thyroid uptake and scintigraphy. Herein, we investigated the feasibility of monitoring human sodium iodide symporter (hNIS) gene expression with 99mTc-pertechnetate in hepatoma cells (MH3924A) following tissue-specific expression.

Radioiodine therapy of hepatoma using targeted transfer of the human sodium/iodide symporter gene.

Unlabelled: We investigated the feasibility of radioiodine therapy targeting hepatoma cells (MH3924A) by tissue-specific expression of the human sodium/iodide symporter (hNIS) gene directed by the murine albumin enhancer and promoter (mAlb).

Methods: The cell-specific transcriptional activity of mAlb was examined by a luciferase assay in several transiently transfected cell lines. MH3924A cells were stably transfected with the recombinant retroviral vector, in which hNIS complementary DNA expression was driven by mAlb and coupled to hygromycin resistance gene using an internal ribosomal entry site (IRES).

Preparation, in vitro and in vivo evaluation of (99m)Tc-Annexin B1: a novel radioligand for apoptosis imaging.

To develop a radiopharmaceutical for apoptosis imaging, Annexin B1, a new Ca2+-dependent phosphatidylserine (PS)-binding protein, was directly radiolabeled with (99m)Tc. This procedure yields up to 96% of radiochemical purity and higher radiolabeling efficiency. The preparation has been found to be sufficiently stable in vitro.

The role of radionuclide bone scintigraphy in fibrous dysplasia of bone.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to study the characteristics of fibrous dysplasia (FD) of bone on bone scans and to evaluate the diagnostic value of radionuclide bone scans in FD.

Methods: Radionuclide bone scans were performed in 42 cases of histopathologically proven FD and the results were compared with other imaging modalities. A retrospective study method was used to analyze the imaging results.