Unusual imaging of varicose veins after radiolabeling of autologous low-density lipoproteins.
LDL-radiolabeling with various isotopes (123I, 125I, 131I, 111In, 99mTc and 67Ga, among others) has been used for imaging the arterial wall, monitoring the LDL-kinetics and in particular to assess vascular surface lining and foam cell content. From 286 patients studied with 111In-LDL scintigraphy, only 9 patients presented clinical varicosis. In 2 of these 9 patients a predominant imaging of varicose veins has been shown with scintigraphy, while in the other 7 patients no positive scintigraphic imaging could be detected. In vitro and in vivo perfusion experiments did not reveal an explanation for this unusual results. The reason for that positive LDL-uptake into varicose veins is unknown. These findings indicate that localized LDL-uptake has to be interpreted carefully in order to avoid potential false positive results.
Rodrigues
M
M
Wilhelm Auerswald Atherosclerose Research Group (ASF), Vienna, Vienna, A-1090, Austria.
Granegger
S
S
Kritz
H
H
Sinzinger
H
H
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000818:Animals; D001161:Arteriosclerosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D005189:False Positive Reactions; D005260:Female; D005710:Gallium Radioisotopes; D006801:Humans; D007205:Indium Radioisotopes; D007457:Iodine Radioisotopes; D008077:Lipoproteins, LDL / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010477:Perfusion; D011817:Rabbits; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D013667:Technetium; D014648:Varicose Veins / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*
D005710:Gallium Radioisotopes; D007205:Indium Radioisotopes; D007457:Iodine Radioisotopes; D008077:Lipoproteins, LDL; D013667:Technetium