title: 99mTc-HYNIC Annexin-V imaging of primary head and neck carcinoma.
abstract: In this study, the potential of 99mTc-HYNIC Annexin-V scintigraphy to visualize primary head and neck carcinoma was assessed and compared with computed tomography (CT) findings and histology. Eighteen patients suspected of having primary head and neck carcinoma underwent a spiral CT scan and 99mTc-HYNIC Annexin-V scintigraphy within 1 week of each other, followed by resection of the suspected lesion. Results obtained by CT and scintigraphy were compared vs. histopathology. The diagnosis was primary head and neck carcinoma in 18 patients, accompanied by lymph node involvement in seven patients. 99mTc-HYNIC Annexin-V uptake was identified in five patients on planar images and in 17 patients on tomographic images (single-photon emission computed tomography, SPECT), corresponding to the pathological regions identified by CT. In the remaining patient, CT and 99mTc-HYNIC Annexin-V scintigraphy were false negative. In 11 patients, SPECT and CT scan were concordant, identifying all primary lesions and two sites of lymph node involvement. In the six remaining patients, CT and SPECT accurately identified the primary lesion, but were discordant with regard to the existence of lymph node involvement. In five of six patients, SPECT failed to identify lymph node involvement, whereas CT scan did not. In the remaining patient, CT scan was false positive for lymph node involvement, whereas SPECT was not. In this series, 99mTc-HYNIC Annexin-V allowed for the visualization of all primary head and neck tumours identified by CT scan, but failed to identify most of the sites of lymph node involvement.
authors.affiliation: Department of Head and Neck Surgery, University Hospital Ghent, Belgium.
authors.forename: Hubert
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Vermeersch
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Loose
authors.forename: Christophe
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lahorte
authors.forename: Kris
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Mervillie
authors.forename: Rudi
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Dierckx
authors.forename: Neil
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Steinmetz
authors.forename: Jean-Luc
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Vanderheyden
authors.forename: Claude
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cuvelier
authors.forename: Guido
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Slegers
authors.forename: Christophe
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Van de Wiele
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D017304:Annexin A5; D005188:False Negative Reactions; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006801:Humans; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015609:Organotechnetium Compounds; D011859:Radiography; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
chemical_list: D017304:Annexin A5; D015609:Organotechnetium Compounds; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; C117287:technetium Tc 99m HYNIC annexin V