title: Quantitative comparison of technetium-99m tetrofosmin and thallium-201 images of the thyroid and abnormal parathyroid glands.
abstract: The aim of the study was to quantitatively compare the scintigraphic images of the thyroid and abnormal parathyroid glands obtained with technetium-99m tetrofosmin and thallium-201 in patients with hyperparathyroidism. Forty-six patients with hyperparathyroidism underwent (201)Tl (74 MBq), (99m)Tc-pertechnetate (74 MBq) and (99m)Tc-tetrofosmin (555-740 MBq) scintigraphy in a single session. Image analysis included the computation of the thyroid/background ratio in the whole study population and the parathyroid/background ratio, parathyroid/thyroid ratio and diagnostic sensitivity in 17 patients who underwent parathyroid surgery. The pertechnetate subtraction technique was used. (201)Tl and (99m)Tc-tetrofosmin showed a similar thyroid/background ratio (1.79+/-0.41 and 1.81+/-0. 47, respectively, P=NS); however, (99m)Tc-tetrofosmin showed a higher parathyroid/background ratio than (201)Tl (2.06+/-0.54 vs 1. 79+/- 0.50, P=0.007). Despite the superior quality of (99m)Tc-tetrofosmin images, both tracers showed identical sensitivity in detecting enlarged parathyroid glands in patients with primary hyperparathyroidism (89%) and in those with secondary hyperparathyroidism (50%).
authors.affiliation: Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, Department of Nuclear Medicine, Largo A. Gemelli 8, I-00168 Roma, Italy.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Giordano
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Marozzi
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Meduri
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Ficola
authors.forename: M L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Calcagni
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Vaccaro
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Rubini
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Attard
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Li Puma
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ricci
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Corsello
mesh_terms: D000236:Adenoma / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006961:Hyperparathyroidism / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006962:Hyperparathyroidism, Secondary / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D008297:Male; D009943:Organophosphorus Compounds; D015609:Organotechnetium Compounds; D010280:Parathyroid Glands / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D010282:Parathyroid Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013670:Sodium Pertechnetate Tc 99m; D013794:Thallium Radioisotopes; D013961:Thyroid Gland / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*
chemical_list: D009943:Organophosphorus Compounds; D015609:Organotechnetium Compounds; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D013794:Thallium Radioisotopes; C078700:technetium tc-99m tetrofosmin; D013670:Sodium Pertechnetate Tc 99m