title: Current role of immunoscintigraphy in malignant melanoma follow-up. A study of 114 patients.
abstract: Although its role and importance is debated, Immunoscintigraphy (IS) remains a popular technique in Malignant Melanoma (MM) follow-up for postoperative assessment. Between April 1990 and December 1996, 287 consecutive patients underwent 650 IS examinations at our Department. Only data on 114 patients, operated up to December 1993, with a follow-up of at least 7 years are given here. IS results were compared to physical examination, to other imaging modalities and, where available, to histology. IS specificity and sensivity, concerning detection of melanoma metastases in lymph nodes, skin, brain, lung, visceral sites and bone, ranged from 37.5% and 22% to 100%. Our results indicate a high diagnostic accuracy of IS only for lymph node examination, but not for other possible locations of melanoma metastases. In our experience IS cannot be recommended for staging of melanoma patients, and should only be used in association with other imaging modalities.
authors.affiliation: Division of Plastic Surgery, Nuclear Medicine Section, La Sapienza University, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ribuffo
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Cavalieri
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: De Vita
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Massa
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Prosperi
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tuccimei
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Scuderi
mesh_terms: D000008:Abdominal Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000556:secondary; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001859:Bone Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000556:secondary; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000556:secondary; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000556:secondary; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000556:secondary; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D008297:Male; D008545:Melanoma / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D016719:Radioimmunodetection; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D013160:Splenic Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000556:secondary; D013997:Time Factors