[Imaging of early carotid artery atherosclerotic lesions with 111In-labeled polyelonalhuman IgG (HIG)].
OBJECTIVE
To assess the value of scintigraphy with 111In-HIG for diagnosis and evaluation of the stage and the clinical extent of carotid artery disease in humans a prospective clinical comparative trial of scintigraphy vs. sonography was performed.


METHODS
58 patients (38 male, 20 female; mean age 60 +/- 7 years) with hyperlipidemia and ultrasonographically detectable carotid artery lesions were studied. After i.v. injection of 18.5 MBq 111In-HIG, anterior scintigraphic images of the neck were acquired. Real time two-dimensional B-mode ultrasonography of the left and the right carotid arteries was performed.


RESULTS
111In-HIG-scintigraphy as compared to the morphological gold standard (ultrasonography) had a sensitivity of 70-73%, specificity of 33-41% and a positive predictive value of 77-82% for detecting carotid atherosclerotic lesions. There was, however, no significant correlation between scintigraphy and ultrasonography.


CONCLUSIONS
However, the data provide evidence that the two imaging techniques are visualizing different aspects of atherogenesis. On the one hand a functional one reflecting the activity of the disease (111In-HIG) and on the other hand the morphological one resembling the extent of the disease (ultrasonography).
Kritz
H
H
Universitätsklinik für Nuklearmedizin, Wien, Osterreich. Helmut.Sinzinger@akh-wien.ac.at
Rodrigues
M
M
Sinzinger
H
H
D000368:Aged; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D002340:Carotid Artery Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007205:Indium Radioisotopes; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D004369:Pentetic Acid / Q000031:analogs & derivatives*; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood; D014463:Ultrasonography
D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; C069971:DTPA-IgG complex; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007205:Indium Radioisotopes; D008055:Lipids; D014280:Triglycerides; D004369:Pentetic Acid; D002784:Cholesterol