Influence of Storage Temperature on Radiochemical Purity of 99mTc-Radiopharmaceuticals

The influence of effective room temperature on the radiochemical purity of 99mTc-radiopharmaceuticals was reported. This study was born from the observation that in the isolators used for the preparation of the 99mTc-radiopharmaceuticals the temperatures can be higher than those reported in the commercial illustrative leaflets of the kits. This is due, in particular, to the small size of the work area, the presence of instruments for heating, the continuous activation of air filtration, in addition to the fact that the environment of the isolator used for the 99mTc-radiopharmaceuticals preparation and storage is completely isolated and not conditioned. A total of 244 99mTc-radiopharmaceutical preparations (seven different types) have been tested and the radiochemical purity was checked at the end of preparation and until the expiry time. Moreover, we found that the mean temperature into the isolator was significantly higher than 25 C, the temperature, in general, required for the preparation and storage of 99mTc-radiopharmaceuticals. Results confirmed the radiochemical stability of radiopharmaceutical products. However, as required in the field of quality assurance, the impact that different conditions than those required by the manufacturer on the radiopharmaceuticals quality have to be verified before human administration

Misinterpretation of an inflammatory FDG uptake in a patient treated for Hodgkin lymphoma: a case report

Hodgkin Lymphoma (HL) is a malignancy involving lymph nodes and lymphatic system. [18F]F-FDG PET/CT (FDG-PET) imaging is routinely used for staging, to assess early chemotherapy response (interim FDG-PET), at the end of treatment (EoT FDG-PET) and for the identification of disease recurrence.We present a case of a 39-year-old man treated for HL. FDG-PET scans performed after first line therapy (both Interim PET and at the end of therapy) demonstrated a persistent and significant mediastinal FDG uptake. The patient was treated with a second line therapy but the FDG-PET uptake did not change. After board discussion a new surgical, thoracoscopy-guided biopsy was performed. Histopathology demonstrated a dense fibrous tissue with occasional chronic inflammatory infiltrates.Persistent FDG-PET positivity may suggest refractory or relapsed disease. However, occasionally, non-malignant conditions are responsible for a persistent FDG uptake, not related to primary disease. An accurate evaluation of clinical history and previous imaging exams is mandatory for clinicians and others experts to avoid misinterpretations of FDG-PET results. Nevertheless, in some cases, only a more invasive procedure, such as a biopsy, may finally lead to a definitive diagnosis

Impact of COVID-19 on cardiovascular testing in the United States versus the rest of the world

Objectives: This study sought to quantify and compare the decline in volumes of cardiovascular procedures between the United States and non-US institutions during the early phase of the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the care of many non-COVID-19 illnesses. Reductions in diagnostic cardiovascular testing around the world have led to concerns over the implications of reduced testing for cardiovascular disease (CVD) morbidity and mortality. Methods: Data were submitted to the INCAPS-COVID (International Atomic Energy Agency Non-Invasive Cardiology Protocols Study of COVID-19), a multinational registry comprising 909 institutions in 108 countries (including 155 facilities in 40 U.S. states), assessing the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on volumes of diagnostic cardiovascular procedures. Data were obtained for April 2020 and compared with volumes of baseline procedures from March 2019. We compared laboratory characteristics, practices, and procedure volumes between U.S. and non-U.S. facilities and between U.S. geographic regions and identified factors associated with volume reduction in the United States. Results: Reductions in the volumes of procedures in the United States were similar to those in non-U.S. facilities (68% vs. 63%, respectively; p = 0.237), although U.S. facilities reported greater reductions in invasive coronary angiography (69% vs. 53%, respectively; p < 0.001). Significantly more U.S. facilities reported increased use of telehealth and patient screening measures than non-U.S. facilities, such as temperature checks, symptom screenings, and COVID-19 testing. Reductions in volumes of procedures differed between U.S. regions, with larger declines observed in the Northeast (76%) and Midwest (74%) than in the South (62%) and West (44%). Prevalence of COVID-19, staff redeployments, outpatient centers, and urban centers were associated with greater reductions in volume in U.S. facilities in a multivariable analysis. Conclusions: We observed marked reductions in U.S. cardiovascular testing in the early phase of the pandemic and significant variability between U.S. regions. The association between reductions of volumes and COVID-19 prevalence in the United States highlighted the need for proactive efforts to maintain access to cardiovascular testing in areas most affected by outbreaks of COVID-19 infection

Therapeutic radiometals: Worldwide scientific literature trend analysis (2008–2018)

Academic journals have published a large number of papers in the therapeutic nuclear medicine (NM) research field in the last 10 years. Despite this, a literature analysis has never before been made to point out the research interest in therapeutic radionuclides (RNs). For this reason, the present study aims specifically to analyze the research output on therapeutic radiometals from 2008 to 2018, with intent to quantify and identify global trends in scientific literature and emphasize the interdisciplinary nature of this research field. The data search targeted conventional ( 131 I, 90 Y, 177 Lu, 188 Re, 186 Re, 153 Sm, 89 Sr, 186 Er) and emergent ( 67 Cu, 47 Sc, 223 Ra, 166 Ho, 161 Tb, 149 Tb, 212 Pb/ 212 Bi, 225 Ac, 213 Bi, 211 At, 117m Sn) RNs. Starting from this time frame, authors have analyzed and interpreted this scientific trend quantitatively first, and qualitatively after

Sister chromatid exchanges in cultured amniocytes exposed to diagnostic ultrasound in vitro

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18F-Florbetapir and 18F-FDG PET studies in the diagnostic evaluation of Alzheimer's disease

Clinical diagnosis of AD remains a challenge since there are no validated tests for an affirmative diagnosis and moreover several conditions can mimic it and their accuracy is suboptimal. Positron Emission Tomography (PET), is a modality for early detection of AD. 18F-Florbetapir is a novel PET tracer for amyloid brain pathology and AD imaging, while PET images with 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) for cerebral glucose metabolism can provide complementary information to amyloid plaque imaging for diagnosis of AD. Aim of our study was to evaluate: (a) to witch degree amyloid imaging data could alter our clinical and diagnostic approach to AD, (b) the concordance degree with FDG PET imaging

Technetium-99m Radiopharmaceuticals for Ideal Myocardial Perfusion Imaging: Lost and Found Opportunities

The favorable nuclear properties in combination with the rich coordination chemistry make technetium-99m the radioisotope of choice for the development of myocardial perfusion tracers. In the early 1980s, [99mTc]Tc-Sestamibi, [99mTc]Tc-Tetrofosmin, and [99mTc]Tc-Teboroxime were approved as commercial radiopharmaceuticals for myocardial perfusion imaging in nuclear cardiology. Despite its peculiar properties, the clinical use of [99mTc]Tc-Teboroxime was quickly abandoned due to its rapid myocardial washout. Despite their widespread clinical applications, both [99mTc]Tc-Sestamibi and [99mTc]Tc-Tetrofosmin do not meet the requirements of an ideal perfusion imaging agent due to their relatively low first-pass extraction fraction and high liver absorption. An ideal radiotracer for myocardial perfusion imaging should have a high myocardial uptake; a high and stable target-to-background ratio with low uptake in the lungs, liver, stomach during the image acquisition period; a high first-pass myocardial extraction fraction and very rapid blood clearance; and a linear relationship between radiotracer myocardial uptake and coronary blood flow. Although it is difficult to reconcile all these properties in a single tracer, scientific research in the field has always channeled its efforts in the development of molecules that are able to meet the characteristics of ideality as much as possible. This short review summarizes the developments in 99mTc myocardial perfusion tracers, which are able to fulfill hitherto unmet medical needs and serve a large population of patients with heart disease, and underlines their strengths and weaknesses, the lost and found opportunities thanks to the developments of the new ultrafast SPECT technologies

[Role of cardiac imaging in the diagnosis of infective endocarditis]

Infective endocarditis is an increasingly common disease in the hospital setting. Although the 2015 guidelines of the European Society of Cardiology deal extensively with many aspects of infective endocarditis, there are still unsolved problems related to diagnosis, in particular to the appropriate use of cardiac imaging methods, that require further study. The aim of this review is to analyze the advantages and limitations of the echocardiographic, radiological and nuclear imaging methods in order to identify diagnostic pathways applicable in clinical practice

Right Atrium Mass Assessed with 18F-FDG PET/CT Scan Turns Out to Be an Uncommon Relapse of Testicular Diffuse Large B-cell Lymphoma: A Case Report

We report the case of a 71-year-old man affected by testicular large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), treated with right orchiectomy and first-line chemotherapy (R-CHOP, 8 cycles). A complete remission was obtained after therapy. Twenty-two months after the primary diagnosis the patient suddenly presented dyspnoea and superior vena cava syndrome; thus, he underwent a CT scan that revealed a large mass in the right atrium, expanding to the superior vena cava. A differential diagnosis between a neoplastic mass and a clot was proposed. The subsequent MR did not clarify the nature of the mass; therefore, the patient underwent an 18F-FDG PET/CT scan (PET/CT), after a specific preparation to reduce fluoro-deoxyglucose (FDG) myocardial uptake. PET/CT revealed an intense FDG uptake involving the whole mass (SUVmax 9.4), suggestive for neoplasm and confirmed by the subsequent endocardiac biopsy. The patient was treated with 8 cycles of R-COMP, obtaining a complete remission, as indicated by the PET/CT performed after the seventh cycle of therapy. The case that we are reporting highlights that DLBCL can have an uncommon relapse presentation in the atrium. PET/CT, compared to conventional imaging, can be a valuable tool to detect early and better characterize cardiac lesions in order to improve the poor prognosis of these conditions