Clearance of technetium-99m-DTPA in pulmonary sarcoidosis.
BACKGROUND
The aim of this study was to explore the possible association of the lung clearance of 99mTc-DTPA scan with HRCT lung abnormalities and with the pulmonary function tests [PFTs] in patients with sarcoidosis.


METHODS
We studied prospectively 15 patients [5 males, 10 females] of median age 46yr [range 27-67] with histologically proved sarcoidosis. HRCT scoring included the sum of the severity and extent of lymph node enlargement and parenchymal involvement.


RESULTS
The mean DTPA clearance half-time [tau 1/ <40 min] was found [mean [SD]] 38.3+/-4.5min. The lymph node enlargement was found 34% and the parenchymal involvement 12%. DTPA clearance was negatively correlated with the parenchymal involvement [r= -0.651, p=0.0091]. The HRCT parenchymal abnormalities were found significantly correlated with PFTs [FVC [r= -0.65, p=0.008] and TLCO [r= -0.76, p=0.02].


CONCLUSIONS
Our data suggest a moderate association between 99mTc-DTPA scan and HRCT in pulmonary sarcoidosis. However, further studies in large scale of sarcoid patients are needed to clarify the role of this novel methodology in the evaluation and follow-up of this disorder.
Antoniou
K M
KM
Thoracic Medicine, Medical School University of Crete, Heraklion.
Tzanakis
N
N
Malagari
K
K
Symvoulakis
K E
KE
Perisinakis
K
K
Karkavitsas
N
N
Siafakas
N M
NM
Bouros
D E
DE
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013902:Radiography, Thoracic; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D012129:Respiratory Function Tests; D017565:Sarcoidosis, Pulmonary / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology; D013147:Spirometry; D016284:Technetium Tc 99m Pentetate; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D016284:Technetium Tc 99m Pentetate