Assessment of the solid-state gamma camera to depict axillary sentinel lymph nodes in breast cancer patients.
OBJECTIVE
The solid-state gamma camera is now commercially available offering the advantages of a compact and portable system, currently used mainly in the cardiac region. We evaluate the ability of the solid-state gamma camera to depict axillary sentinel lymph nodes (SLNs) in breast cancer patients.


METHODS
Preoperative SLN lymphoscintigraphy (LSG) was performed in 19 patients with breast cancer using the solid-state gamma camera. Immediately thereafter, we performed a second LSG using a single detector Anger-type gamma camera, and compared the findings from the two cameras.


RESULTS
Concordant results were obtained in 12 (63%) patients with both cameras. In 4 (21%) patients, axillary SLNs were correctly identified only with the solid-state gamma camera. In these patients, the distance between the SLN and the radiopharmaceutical injection site was closer than that of patients who had concordant results (p = 0.001).


CONCLUSIONS
We can depict correctly axillary SLNs with the solid-state gamma camera in comparison with the Anger-type gamma camera. This technique would be useful for assessing SLNs in breast cancer patients.
Goto
Mariko
M
Department of Radiology, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, 465 Kajiicho, Kawaramachi Hirokoji, Kamigyo-ku, Kyoto 602-8566, Japan. gomari@koto.kpu-m.ac.jp
Okuyama
Chio
C
Kubota
Takao
T
Ushijima
Yo
Y
Nishimura
Tsunehiko
T
D000328:Adult; D001365:Axilla / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D019544:Equipment Failure Analysis; D006801:Humans; D007089:Image Enhancement / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology*; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012666:Semiconductors; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D021701:Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy / Q000379:methods*