The significance of isolated gallium-67 uptake in the hilar lymph nodes of an untreated lymphoma patient.
A 69-year-old woman presented with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma of the right ilioinguinal region in whom bilateral uptake of Ga-67 in hilar lymph nodes was noted on thoracic SPECT. There were no Ga-67 abnormalities elsewhere within the thorax, and a chest CT scan was also normal. The patient received radiotherapy to the inguinal region and remained in clinical remission for 28 months following treatment. She subsequently relapsed at a number of peripheral lymph node sites, but not in the chest. The authors postulate that isolated hilar uptake of Ga-67 SPECT may not be clinically significant in some untreated patients with lymphoma. This scintigraphic finding should be interpreted cautiously, particularly when other chest imaging studies remain negative.
Larcos
G
G
Department of Nuclear Medicine & Ultrasound, Westmead Hospital, NSW, Australia.
Farlow
D C
DC
Antico
V F
VF
Gruenewald
S M
SM
D000368:Aged; D002951:Citrates; D019343:Citric Acid; D005260:Female; D005710:Gallium Radioisotopes / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D006801:Humans; D015451:Leukemia, Lymphocytic, Chronic, B-Cell / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000378:metabolism*; D008224:Lymphoma, Follicular / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D008228:Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D013909:Thorax / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000378:metabolism; D015899:Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon
D002951:Citrates; D005710:Gallium Radioisotopes; D019343:Citric Acid