title: Preoperative diagnosis of orbital cavernous hemangioma: a 99mTc-RBC SPECT study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study aimed to describe 99mTc-labeled RBC scintigraphy as a diagnostic method for orbital cavernous hemangiomas and to evaluate this diagnostic tool according to surgical outcomes.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty-five patients with clinical and radiological (US, CT, and/or MRI) suspicion of unilateral cavernous hemangioma of the orbit underwent 99mTc-RBC SPECT study.Qualitative and semiquantitative evaluations were performed, and results were statistically analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  SPECT images showed focal uptake in the orbital mass in 36 of 55 patients. Nineteen patients had a negative scintigraphic pattern, with concordance of early and late absence of uptake of 99mTc-RBC.Our procedure showed 100% sensitivity and 88.9% specificity for the diagnosis of orbital cavernous hemangioma, with a positive predictive value of 90.9% and a negative predictive value of 100%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  99mTc-RBC imaging is safe, easy to perform, and highly accurate in providing adequate clinical and surgical management. As a noninvasive and highly specific method for diagnosing orbital hemangioma, 99mTc-RBC scintigraphy can avoid more invasive imaging or biopsy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nuclear Medicine, University of Siena, Santa Maria alle Scotte Hospital, Siena, Italy.
authors.forename: Luca
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Burroni
authors.forename: Giulia
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Borsari
authors.forename: Patrizia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Pichierri
authors.forename: Ennio
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Polito
authors.forename: Olga
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Toscano
authors.forename: Gaia
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Grassetto
authors.forename: Adil
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Al-Nahhas
authors.forename: Domenico
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Rubello
authors.forename: Angelo Giuseppe
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Vattimo
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D005260:Female; D006392:Hemangioma, Cavernous / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009918:Orbital Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000601:surgery*; D011300:Preoperative Care; D013667:Technetium; D015899:Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D013667:Technetium