Technetium-99m tetrofosmin single photon emission computed tomography in the evaluation of suspected lung cancer.
Technetium-99m-tetrofosmin is a radiopharmaceutical employed for myocardial imaging, which has recently emerged as useful in the visualization of tumors. In this study technetium-99m-tetrofosmin was evaluated for its accuracy in differentiating malignant from benign pulmonary lesions, and in detecting mediastinal node metastasis due to lung cancer. Eighty-one patients with a solitary lung lesion on the chest radiograph and/or CT scan were submitted to chest single photon emission computed tomography after technetium-99m-tetrofosmin injection (740 MBq i.v.). The scintigraphic findings were correlated to the final histopathological diagnosis, demonstrating abnormal tracer accumulation in 51 of 54 malignant lesions (sensitivity 94%) and in 4 out of 27 benign conditions (specificity 85%), yielding an accuracy of 91%. Mediastinal lymph-node involvement was evaluated in 35 patients with non small cell lung cancer who underwent mediastinoscopy and/or surgery. Tetrofosmin accuracy (89%) was significantly higher than that of CT (69%, p < 0.05); the false negative scintigraphic results were in nodes sized less than 1 cm. In conclusion, technetium-99m-tetrofosmin imaging is useful in distinguishing malignant from benign pulmonary lesions, and in non-invasively assessing mediastinal node metastases from non small cell lung cancer, especially in patients with enlarged nodes by CT scan.
Schillaci
O
O
STB Department, University of L'Aquila, Italy.
Monteleone
F
F
D'Andrea
N
N
Picardi
V
V
Cangemi
R
R
Cangemi
V
V
Scopinaro
F
F
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000556:secondary; D018288:Carcinoma, Small Cell / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000556:secondary; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005188:False Negative Reactions; D005189:False Positive Reactions; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008171:Lung Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D008297:Male; D008479:Mediastinal Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000556:secondary; D008875:Middle Aged; D009943:Organophosphorus Compounds; D015609:Organotechnetium Compounds; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D015899:Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
D009943:Organophosphorus Compounds; D015609:Organotechnetium Compounds; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; C078700:technetium tc-99m tetrofosmin