Recent Advances in Melanoma Staging and Therapy

Background: Recent advances in the staging and treatment of melanoma were reviewed.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/41420/1/10434_1999_Article_467.pd

THE ROLE OF QUANTITATIVE TC-99(M)-GLUCOHEPTONATE SCINTIGRAPHY IN THE EVALUATION OF ACUTE UVEITIS IN PATIENTS WITH BEHCETS-DISEASE

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the role of quantitative Tc-99m-glucoheptonate (Tc-99m-GH) scintigraphy in the assessment of patients with Behcet's disease who suffered from ocular inflammation (uveitis). The study consisted of 13 patients with uveitis and five control subjects. There were a total of 25 eyes with chronic uveitis. Of these 25 eyes, 10 were in a state of remission, and the other 15 were in an acute phase of the illness. The study was performed by administering 370 MBq (10 mCi) Tc-99m-GH intravenously. Planar images were acquired 6 h later. Eye/scalp indices were quantified by drawing regions of interest (ROIs) around each eye and normalizing the mean counts per pixel by the mean counts in the scalp. The mean eye/scalp indices were 1.87 +/- 0.19 in controls and 1.98 +/- 0.19 in the affected eyes that were in remission (P = 0.23, nonsignificant). However, during the acute phase of the illness, the mean eye/scalp index was 2.18 +/- 0.28. The difference between controls and the eyes that were in the acute phase of the illness was significant (one way analysis of variance, P = 0.007). The mean value of the index for affected eyes in remission was not significantly different to that for eyes in the acute phase (P = 0.068, nonsignificant). These preliminary findings suggest that, despite previously published reports in animals with experimentally induced uveitis, Tc-99m-GH scintigraphy may not be a very sensitive method for evaluating human ocular inflammations

Can exercise renography be an alternative to ACE inhibitor renography in hypertensive patients who are suspicious for renal artery stenosis?

The aim of this study was to evaluate the value of Tc-99m ethylenedicysteine exercise renography in patients with hypertension who were suspicious for renal artery stenosis and compare the results with captopril renography

Lymphatic mapping for Merkel cell carcinoma

Merkel cell trabecular carcinoma of the skin has a prognosis poorer than expected for a small skin lesion. An early diagnosis and prompt treatment can contribute to improve survival in cases of this aggressive skin tumor. A wide local excision is indicated for localized disease. Elective lymph node dissection is controversial. The authors report a rare case of Merkel cell tumor treated with wide local excision and sentinel lymph node biopsy

SCINTIGRAPHIC EVALUATION OF THE EFFECTIVENESS OF INTRANASAL CALCITONIN THERAPY IN SUDECKS ATROPHY

The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of intranasal salmon calcitonin compared to a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) in patients with Sudeck's atrophy by means of quantitative three-phase bone scanning. Included in the study were 14 patients with Sudeck's atrophy whose diagnoses were confirmed by clinical and radiological examinations. Seven patients were treated with intranasal salmon calcitonin (100 IU twice daily) and 1 g elementary calcium daily for 5 weeks. The other group of seven patients was treated with 75 mg indomethacin daily for 5 weeks. The effectiveness of both treatments was analysed by comparing quantitative three-phase bone scans which were performed before and after the treatment. Bone-to-soft tissue ratios were calculated from static (delayed) images and scintigraphic evaluations were done both visually and quantitatively. Patients who received the calcitonin/calcium regimen showed reduced bone/soft tissue indices after therapy, whereas patients who received indomethacin showed no change or showed increased indices. In conclusion, the results show that intranasal salmon calcitonin and calcium treatment is more effective than NSAIDs in patients with Sudeck's atrophy

COMPARISON OF RENAL PERFUSION INDEXES IN CAPTOPRIL SCINTIGRAPHY

Perfusion indices used in renal scintigraphy were adapted to captopril-enhanced renal scintigraphy in order to determine if these parameters have any value in differentiating patients with renovascular hypertension (RVH) from normal subjects. Regions of interest (ROIs) were chosen over the aorta and kidneys, and time-activity curves generated. The ratio of integrated aortic counts to renal counts, from the time of injection to arterial peak, was calculated. The difference in the value of this index between captopril and basal scintigraphies was -17 +/- 12 and -16 +/- 13 for the right and left kidneys, respectively; in the group of patients with essential hypertension, whereas in the patients with renovascular hypertension, these values were 24 in the stenotic and 14 in the non-stenotic kidney. This parameter is useful for separating patients with RVH from normal subjects