Detection of splenic tissue by 99mTc-labelled Sn-colloid SPECT/CT scintigraphy

This paper presents a case of an 80-year-old man with idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura after splenectomy performed many years ago, which normalized platelet count, presented with severe thrombocytopenia with no response to treatment. A SPECT/CT study was performed using 99mTc-labelled Sn-colloid. The histology confirmed the presence of splenic tissue in those foci. Spleen examination (SPECT/CT) using 99mTc-labelled Sn-colloid is able to detect splenic tissue and in our opinion is a simpler and less time-consuming procedure than using 99mTc DRBC. Nuclear Med Rev 2011; 14, 2: 116–11

Brain metastases in patient with prostate cancer found in 18F-choline PET/CT

Brain metastases are a rare complication of prostate cancer. They are usually diagnosed in an end-stage disease when the tumor has already spread to the other organs and tissues. We present a case of a male with castration-resistant prostate cancer with bone metastases visualized in 18F-fluorocholine PET/CT scan. Brain metastases are a rare complication of prostate cancer. They are usually diagnosed in an end-stage disease when the tumour has already spread to the other organs and tissues. We present a case of a male with castration-resistant prostate cancer with bone metastases visualized in 18F-fluorocholine PET/CT scan

Znaczenie przypadkowo rozpoznanego ogniskowego wychwytu 99mTc- sestamibi w tarczycy w trakcie scyntygrafii perfuzyjnej mięśnia sercowego

  Introduction: 99mTc-sestamibi, a radiopharmaceutical widely used in the assessment of myocardial perfusion, can be used as an indicator of thyroid disease due to its oncophilic character. The aim of this study was to establish the usefulness of performing additional examinations of radiotracer uptake in the thyroid gland during standard stress scintigraphy with sestamibi in order to identify thyroid diseases. Material and methods: After a retrospective evaluation of 330 consecutive myocardial perfusion scintigraphies performed in our hospital during one year, 41 patients with a focal accumulation of 99mTc-sestamibi in the thyroid were enrolled in the study. The patients underwent clinical examinations, including thyroid ultrasonography and TSH, fT4, fT3, aTPO, TRAB, calcitonin, and CEA levels. Based on the thyroid ultrasounds, 21 patients were referred for fine-needle aspiration biopsy of the thyroid. Results: An abnormal accumulation of radiotracer in the thyroid was found in 41(12.4%) of 330 patients who underwent stress cardiac scintigraphy. Thirteen (31.7%) of those patients had multinodular euthyroid goitres, 12 (29.2%) had a single thyroid nodule (including two autonomous nodules), 11 (26.8%) had autoimmune thyroid disease, and one (2.4%) had papillary thyroid carcinoma. In 12 (29.2%) with thyroid tracer uptake there was no thyroid pathology. Conclusions: Additional evaluation of radiotracer uptake in the thyroid during standard myocardial perfusion scintigraphy is a valuable tool in the detection of thyroid diseases. The additional or parallel evaluation of radiotracer uptake in the thyroid should be considered during every myocardial scintigraphy. (Endokrynol Pol 2015; 66 (6): 521–525)    Wstęp: 99mTc-sestamibi jest radiofarmaceutykiem stosowanym standardowo między innymi w ocenie perfuzji mięśnia sercowego. Ze względu na właściwości onkofilne może być także wykorzystywany w diagnostyce chorób tarczycy. Celem pracy była analiza przydatności dodatkowej oceny gruczołu tarczowego podczas scyntygraficznej próby wysiłkowej z wykorzystaniem sestamibi do wykrywania chorób tarczycy. Materiał i metody: Po ocenie 330 kolejnych badań scyntygrafii perfuzyjnej serca w Zakładzie Medycyny Nuklearnej WIM wykonanych w okresie od 01.01.2009 do 1.01.2010 do dalszych badań zakwalifikowano 41 chorych, u których rozpoznano ogniskowe gromadzenie 99mTc- sestamibi w tarczycy. Następnie przeprowadzono badanie kliniczne, wykonano USG tarczycy oraz oznaczono stężenie: TSH, fT4, fT3, aTPO, TRAb, kalcytoniny, CEA. Na podstawie wyniku badania ultrasonograficznego tarczycy 21 osób skierowano na biopsję cienkoigłową tarczycy. Wyniki: U 41 (12,4%) z 330 chorych poddanych scyntygrafii serca stwierdzono nieprawidłowe gromadzeniem radioznacznika w tarczycy. U 13 ( 31,7%) z nich rozpoznano wole wieloguzkowe, 12 (29,2%) miało pojedynczy guzek tarczycy ( w tym dwóch chorych guzek autonomiczny), 11 chorych (26,8%) prezentowało autoimmunizacyjną chorobę tarczycy, u jednej (2,4%) znaleziono raka brodawkowatego tarczycy. W 12 przypadkach (29,2%) nieprawidłowego gromadzenia radioznacznika nie potwierdzono choroby tarczycy. Wnioski: Dodatkowa ocena wychwytu radioznacznika w tarczycy podczas standardowej scyntygrafii perfuzyjnej serca jest cennym narzędziem w wykrywaniu chorób tarczycy. W opisie wyniku badania scyntygrafii perfuzyjnej serca powinno się także uwzględniać ocenę wychwytu radioznacznika w tarczycy. (Endokrynol Pol 2015; 66 (6): 521–525)

Long bone metastases as predictors of survival in patients with metastatic renal cancer

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of long bone metastases in renal cancer patients and to evaluate their utility as predictors of survival in this group. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This retrospective study included 20 patients with metastatic renal cancer and bone metastases. The patients were referred for regular bone scintigraphy in order to assess disease spread in the skeleton. The patients were divided into two groups: those with 1) metastases in the skeleton (including long bones) and those with 2) metastases in the axial skeleton only. RESULTS: Bone scintigraphy imaging was performed regularly up to 81 months from the first positive bone scan. During that time 11 deaths (8 among patients with long bone lesions) were recorded. Kaplan-Meyer curves showed that patients with long bone metastases tend to have lower survival probability in comparison to the ones with metastases in other bones. CONCLUSIONS: Bone metastases localization seems to influence survival in patients with renal cancer. Long bone-involving spread of the disease is associated with worse survival probability than the spread to the other bones