Accurate and efficient detection of pulmonary seed embolization in prostate iodine-125 permanent brachytherapy with a collimated gamma scintillation survey meter.

Pulmonary seed embolization is frequently observed in permanent prostate brachytherapy. Postoperative chest radiographic examination does not always detect seed embolization. To overcome this deficiency, a low energy gamma scintillation survey meter was converted to a seed-migration detector by adding a cone-shaped single-hole collimation cap to the window end of the scintillation probe. The response functions of the seed-migration detector to iodine-125 (I-125) for different source-to-detector distances in air and in water were measured. The spatial discrimination power of the survey meter, represented by the full width at half maximum measured in water, is typically improved from more than 7 cm to about 3 cm. Seventy-nine patients with I-125 implantation were scanned with the seed-migration detector at the patients' 30-day postevaluation visit. Fifteen patients showed single-seed embolization to the chest region and four patients displayed two-seed embolization. In other words, 24% of the patients present with embolized seeds. The detection accuracy of each patient was validated by a comprehensive investigation procedure. The comprehensive investigation consists of reviewing the patient's treatment history, orally questioning the patient for possible seed loss via the urethra route outside the hospital, examining all available chest radiographs before and after the seed implantation, and counting the seeds on the postevaluation CT scans. In comparison, examinations relying only on the analysis of postoperative chest radiographs yielded a false-positive detection in four patients and a false-negative detection in two patients. Another advantage of the seed-migration detector is that multiple seed-migration scans can be performed without exposing the patient to any additional radiation, for this device is a passive detector. Our clinical implementation also demonstrated that the seed-migration detector is a convenient and cost-effective method. As a result of this study, we stopped ordering the postoperative chest radiographs in a patient's regular postevaluation visit. Only if the detector shows radioactivity outside a patient's pelvis are a pair of anteroposterior and lateral chest radiographs of the patient ordered to document the location of the embolized seeds.