Contribution of thallium-201-SPECT to the grading of tumorous alterations of the brain.
Single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) with thallium-201-chloride (201Tl) was used in 22 patients to assess the grade of malignancy of brain tumors. Low- and high-grade malignant gliomas could be well differentiated by calculating the Grade Index (GI), i.e., 201Tl uptake in the tumor area relative to a contralateral brain region. Low-grade gliomas (WHO-grade I-II) usually showed a GI of < 1.5. Tumors classified histologically as high-grade malignant (WHO-grade III-IV) had GI values greater than 1.42 and a mean value of 1.89. Until labelled amino-acid tracers for gamma-cameras become commercially available, thallium-201 brain-SPECT can provide an independent and complementary method to CT/MRI for the differential diagnosis of grading of brain tumors. This simple technique can help to reduce sampling errors during needle biopsies of brain tumors, particularly of high-grade lesions incorrectly graded as low-grade tumors due to inadequate biopsy material. In addition, pre- and post-therapy studies can influence the strategy of therapy itself and allow an early detection of recurrences.
Burkard
R
R
Department of Nuclear Medicine, Central Hospital of the armed forces in Koblenz (Bundeswehrzentralkrankenhaus Koblenz), Academic Teaching Hospital, Johannes-Gutenberg-University Mainz, Fed. Rep. of Germany.
Kaiser
K P
KP
Wieler
H
H
Klawki
P
P
Linkamp
A
A
Mittelbach
L
L
Göller
T
T
D000236:Adenoma / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001254:Astrocytoma / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D001921:Brain / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology / Q000556:secondary; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D005910:Glioma / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008577:Meningeal Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology / Q000556:secondary; D008579:Meningioma / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D009464:Neuroma, Acoustic / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D010911:Pituitary Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D013794:Thallium Radioisotopes; D015899:Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon
D013794:Thallium Radioisotopes