Scintimammography: the complementary role of Tc-99m sestamibi prone breast imaging for the diagnosis of breast carcinoma.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the complementary role of technetium-99m sestamibi scintimammography in improvement of the sensitivity and specificity of mammography in detection of carcinoma of the breast.


METHODS
At 5 and 60 minutes after intravenous injection of Tc-99m sestamibi, scintimammograms were obtained in 147 women (age range, 18-73 years; mean age, 47.9 years +/- 10.2 [standard deviation]) with 153 lesions that warranted breast biopsy (102 lesions) or fine-needle aspiration cytologic analysis (51 lesions). There were 113 palpable and 40 nonpalpable lesions. Lesion size on mammograms was 0.8 x 0.6 cm to 15.0 x 11.0 cm (mean, 2.82 cm +/- 1.71 x 2.39 cm +/- 1.56).


RESULTS
Scintimammographic findings were true-positive in 47 biopsy-confirmed carcinomas, true-negative in 91 benign lesions, false-positive in 11 lesions with benign histopathologic findings (fibrocystic disease [n = 8] or fibroadenoma [n = 3]), and false-negative in four lesions of infiltrating ductal carcinoma. The sensitivity of scintimammography was 92.2%; specificity, 89.2%; positive predictive value, 81.0%; and negative predictive value, 95.8%.


CONCLUSIONS
The authors conclude that scintimammography is a sensitive test that can improve the detection of breast carcinoma.
Khalkhali
I
I
Department of Radiology, Harbor-University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) Medical Center, Torrance 90502, USA.
Cutrone
J A
JA
Mena
I G
IG
Diggles
L E
LE
Venegas
R J
RJ
Vargas
H I
HI
Jackson
B L
BL
Khalkhali
S
S
Moss
J F
JF
Klein
S R
SR
D001707:Biopsy, Needle; D001940:Breast / Q000473:pathology; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D002278:Carcinoma in Situ / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D018270:Carcinoma, Ductal, Breast / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D005188:False Negative Reactions; D005189:False Positive Reactions; D005260:Female; D005348:Fibrocystic Breast Disease / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D016684:Prone Position; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D017256:Technetium Tc 99m Sestamibi
D017256:Technetium Tc 99m Sestamibi