title: 99Tcm-MIBI scintimammography in the evaluation of breast lesions and axillary involvement: a comparison with mammography and histopathological diagnosis.
abstract: The aim of this prospective study was to determine the diagnostic value of prone lateral 99Tcm-MIBI scintimammography in the detection of primary breast cancer and axillary lymph node involvement in patients with breast lesions. We evaluated 83 palpable and 22 non-palpable lesions in 77 consecutive patients with a clinically palpable mass and/or suspicious mammographic finding. Early and late scintimammograms were performed after the intravenous injection of 740 MBq 99Tcm-MIBI. The overall sensitivity of both scintimammography and mammography in the detection of primary breast cancer was 94%. The overall specificity was 84% and 56% for scintimammography and mammography respectively. In the patients with palpable masses, the sensitivity of scintimammography was 97% and the specificity was 84%; in those with non-palpable masses, the sensitivity was 35% and the specificity 100%. For the detection of axillary lymph node involvement, the sensitivity and specificity of scintimammography were 68% and 93% respectively. However, conventional mammography showed 37% sensitivity and 86% specificity. In conclusion, scintimammography is an accurate and clinically valuable tool for evaluating palpable and non-palpable breast abnormalities. In addition to its high sensitivity, it improves the specificity of mammography both in the evaluation of breast masses and in the detection of axillary involvement.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001365:Axilla; D001706:Biopsy; D001707:Biopsy, Needle; D001941:Breast Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000556:secondary*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008327:Mammography; D008875:Middle Aged; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D017256:Technetium Tc 99m Sestamibi