title: Technetium-99m (v) dimercaptosuccinic acid uptake in patients with head and neck squamous carcinoma: experience in imaging.
abstract: A recently developed imaging agent, technetium-99m (v) dimercaptosuccinic acid (99mTc (v) DMSA), has been used to assess head and neck squamous carcinoma (SCC). We have prospectively studied 62 patients of whom 53 had a histologically proven head and neck SCC. The remaining nine had benign lesions. The results of planar imaging in patients with primary disease yielded an 85% sensitivity and 78% specificity. Planar imaging in patients with cervical lymphadenopathy revealed a 59% sensitivity. Nineteen patients also had single photon emission computed tomography imaging which improved the image quality, spatial resolution and sensitivity of the investigation. Twenty-seven patients were scanned before and after radiotherapy and, of these, 96% showed positive uptake in the salivary glands with no evidence of tumor recurrence. This study has shown 99mTc (v) DMSA imaging provides a cheap and rapid method of investigating head and neck SCC and further studies are necessary to evaluate its role in the management of patients with this disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nuclear Medicine, Guy's Hospital, London, UK.
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Watkinson
authors.forename: C R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Lazarus
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Mistry
authors.forename: O H
authors.initials: OH
authors.lastname: Shaheen
authors.forename: M N
authors.initials: MN
authors.lastname: Maisey
authors.forename: S E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Clarke
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D005260:Female; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009942:Organometallic Compounds; D011446:Prospective Studies; D004113:Succimer; D013438:Sulfhydryl Compounds; D013667:Technetium; D019783:Technetium Tc 99m Dimercaptosuccinic Acid; D014055:Tomography, Emission-Computed
chemical_list: D009942:Organometallic Compounds; D013438:Sulfhydryl Compounds; D019783:Technetium Tc 99m Dimercaptosuccinic Acid; D013667:Technetium; D004113:Succimer