Emergency localization of radioactive seeds lost during intracoronary brachytherapy.
Recently, it has been reported that brachytherapy catheters ruptured in vivo. Localization of lost beta-radiation-emitting seeds is a problem because no appropriate technique is available that is rapid and precise. We developed a technique to localize beta-emitting seeds utilizing the effect that beta-radiation induces bremsstrahlung. The loss of a single radioactive source was simulated in an Alderson Phantom representing a human body. The beta-induced bremsstrahlung could be detected selectively by a gamma-camera. The position of the radioactive seed could be located within 5 min with an accuracy of +/- 0.5 cm. The result of this study suggests that in an emergency case of loss of a brachytherapy source, a commercially available gamma-camera can be a valuable tool to detect lost beta-radiation-emitting seeds rapidly and precisely. In addition, the technique minimizes the patient's as well as the surgeon's exposure to radiation and reduces the extent of surgical trauma.
Department of Radiotherapy and Radio-Oncology, University Hospital Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany. kruell@uke.uni-hamburg.de
Andreas
A
Krüll
Ralf
R
Köster
Karl Heinz
KH
Bohuslavizki
Manuel
M
Todorovic
Rainer
R
Schmidt
Horst
H
Thurmann
Carsten
C
Brockhoff
Rudolf
R
Schwarz
Thomas
T
Münzel
Winfried
W
Alberti
D001610:Beta Particles; D001918:Brachytherapy / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000295:instrumentation; D006328:Cardiac Catheterization / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000295:instrumentation; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D004632:Emergency Medical Services; D004868:Equipment Failure; D015902:Gamma Cameras; D006801:Humans; D019047:Phantoms, Imaging; D011832:Radiation Injuries / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D011857:Radiographic Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted; D013326:Strontium Radioisotopes; D013997:Time Factors; D015021:Yttrium Radioisotopes
D013326:Strontium Radioisotopes; D015021:Yttrium Radioisotopes