title: Reliability of axillary lymph node scintiphotography in suspected carcinoma of the breast.
abstract: The ability of axillary lymph nodes to take up 99Tcm-labelled antimony sulphide colloid in suspected carcinoma of the breast was investigated in 111 consecutive patients. Eight out of 17 patients with histologically confirmed carcinoma of the breast had a low colloid uptake on the affected side, i.e. a positive scintiphoto. Eighty-two out of 94 patients with benign breast disease had an equal colloid uptake on the two sides or increased uptake on the symptomatic side, i.e. a negative scintiphoto. The reliability of the test is low and the test can neither be recommended for screening to select patients for further investigations nor as a routine examination.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001365:Axilla; D001941:Breast Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging