A primary application of 99mTc-MDP whole body bone scintigraphy in evaluation of bone and joint injuries in patients with early brucellosis / 中华地方病学杂志

Objective:To investigate the diagnostic value of 99mTc-methylenediphosphonate(MDP) whole body bone scintigraphy in early brucellosis patients with bone and joint injuries. Methods:According to the Diagnosis for Brucellosis (WS 269-2019), combined with epidemiological history, clinical manifestations and serological tests, from November 2020 to April 2021, 15 early brucellosis patients (the course of disease was within 6 months) who had not received any drug treatment diagnosed at the Department for Brucellosis Prevention and Control, Qinghai Institute for Endemic Disease Prevention and Control were selected as the research subjects, and 99mTc-MDP whole body bone scintigraphy was performed on the patients to evaluate the images and analyze the pathological changes. Results:The 99mTc-MDP whole body bone scintigraphy of 15 patients with early brucellosis showed abnormalities, and the abnormal concentration of radionuclides mainly occurred in the 8th to 12th thoracic vertebrae (T8-12), the 1st to 2nd lumbar vertebrae (L1-2) and L4-5. Among them, the thoracic vertebrae abnormalities were T8, T9, T10, T11 and T12 in 1 case each; lumbar vertebrae abnormalities were 1 case of L1, 1 case of L2, 4 cases of L4, and 5 cases of L5. Conclusions:The 99mTc-MDP whole body bone scintigraphy is abnormal in patients with early brucellosis. Bone scintigraphy has certain value in the diagnosis of bone and joint injuries in patients with early brucellosis.

Early versus delayed post-therapy whole body scintigraphy for well-differentiated thyroid carcinoma: A meta-analysis

Introduction@#No clear consensus exists as to the optimal timing for conducting whole body scintigraphy (WBS) after radioactive iodine (RAI) therapy for differentiated thyroid carcinoma. @*Objective@#This study aimed to compare the utility of early versus delayed post-therapy WBS in identifying residual lesions and metastases.@*Methods@#A systematic review of existing literature was done, yielding 6 observational studies relevant to the subject. Meta-analyses were done comparing lesion detecting rates of early (3-4 days post-RAI) and delayed (7-11 days post-RAI) post-therapy WBS for thyroid remnants and metastases in the lymph nodes, lungs, and bone using a random-effects model with odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). A subgroup analysis was also done relating to the type of collimator used in imaging.

UR value of thyroid scintigraphy in differential diagnosis of thyrotoxicosis / 中华全科医师杂志

The clinical and imaging data of 99 patients with Graves′ disease, 78 patients with thyroiditis and 28 patients with other diseases (resolving thyroiditis, non thyroid disease and simple goiter) who underwent thyroid scintigraphy in Beijing Shijingshan Hospital from January 2016 to March 2022 were retrospectively reviewed. The UR value of thyroid scintigraphy was calculated and ROC curve was used to assess the UR value in diagnosis of Graves′ disease. The UR value of patients with Graves′ hyperthyroidism was significantly higher than that of patients with thyroiditis and other diseases ( H=163.62, P<0.05). UR>4.84 was taken as optimal cutoff value to diagnose Graves′ hyperthyroidism, with the sensitivity and specificity of 95.0% and 98.1%, respectively.

Kummel's disease

Kummel's disease is a crush fracture of a vertebral body caused by a minor trauma, with the most accepted etiology being avascular necrosis. It is more frequent in individuals with risk factors such as osteoporosis or prolonged treatment with corticosteroids. Initially, it usually has normal radiological tests and an asymptomatic period, followed by a progressive onset of pain along with probable kyphosis and a sign of void or fluid abscess on radiological tests, which may create nerve/spinal involvement. The case is presented of a 76-year-old man, who was admitted to this center for the differential diagnosis of a single vertebral lesion. After imaging tests and biopsy, the definitive diagnosis of Kummel's disease was reached. The confirmatory diagnosis was reached by vertebral biopsy, but given its invasive nature, imaging techniques can play a significant role. As regards metabolic imaging tests, bone scintigraphy has shown to be one of the most sensitive tools to detect ischemia in earlier stages or to determine if it affects other locations. The whole body scan with diphosphonates shows an increase in activity in relation to bone remodeling activity in this condition. The 3-phase study makes it possible to differentiate whether it is an acute/subacute or chronic process, and can influence the therapeutic decision. Knowledge of this disease is important to make a differential diagnosis with tumour or infectious pathology, with emphasis on performing imaging tests in the event of persistent pain with a normal initial plaque.

La enfermedad de Kummel es una fractura-aplastamiento de un cuerpo vertebral precedida por un traumatismo menor, cuya etiología más aceptada es la necrosis avascular. Es más frecuente en individuos con factores de riesgo como osteoporosis o tratamiento prolongado con corticoides. Inicialmente, suele presentar pruebas radiológicas normales y un periodo asintomático, con aparición progresiva del dolor junto a probable cifosis y signo del vacío o absceso líquido en las pruebas radiológicas, pudiendo llegar a crear compromiso nervioso/medular. Presentamos el caso de un varón de 76 arios que ingresa en nuestro centro para el diagnóstico diferencial de una lesión única vertebral; tras la realización de las pruebas de imagen y biopsia se llega al diagnóstico definitivo de enfermedad de Kummel. El diagnóstico de confirmación de esta enfermedad se alcanza mediante la biopsia vertebral, pero dada su naturaleza invasiva, las técnicas de imagen toman un papel relevante. En relación con las pruebas de imagen metabólicas, la gammagrafía ósea ha demostrado ser una de las herramientas más sensibles para detectar isquemia en fases más tempranas o para conocer si afecta a otras localizaciones. El rastreo corporal de cuerpo completo con difosfonatos muestra un aumento de actividad en relación con la actividad ósea remodelativa en este cuadro. El estudio de tres fases permite diferenciar si se trata de un proceso agudo/subagudo o crónico, lo que influye en la decisión terapéutica. Es importante el conocimiento de esta enfermedad para realizar diagnóstico diferencial con patología tumoral o infecciosa e insistir en la realización de pruebas de imagen ante la persistencia del dolor con una placa inicial normal.

Aporte de la centellografía con trazadores tecneciados fosfatados al diagnóstico de amiloidosis cardíaca / Contribution of scintigraphy with technetium phosphated tracers to the diagnosis of cardiac amyloidosis / Contribuição da cintilografia com traçadores fosfatados com tecnécio para o diagnóstico de amiloidose cardíaca

Las amiloidosis son enfermedades causadas por el depósito patológico extracelular de un material proteico fibrilar e insoluble denominado amiloide, que puede estar vinculado a cadenas livianas (AL) o transtirretina (TTR). La amiloidosis cardíaca provoca una cardiomiopatía restrictiva de carácter progresivo caracterizada por falla cardíaca con función sistólica relativamente preservada, que se asocia a elevada mortalidad. Aunque el diagnóstico definitivo tradicionalmente se basa en la biopsia endomiocárdica, los avances en imagenología han mejorado su abordaje y la reciente introducción de terapias especificas permiten augurar cambios significativos en el pronóstico. El tratamiento difiere según el tipo de amiloide involucrado y su resultado depende de la instauración precoz de este, por lo cual resulta esencial un diagnóstico preciso y temprano. El centellograma cardíaco con fosfatos marcados (99mTc-PYP u otros), ampliamente disponible y de relativo bajo costo, se considera en la actualidad como una "biopsia molecular no invasiva" para el diagnóstico de la amiloidosis tipo ATTR, que debe ser usado en conjunto con la investigación de proteínas monoclonales en pacientes con sospecha clínica de la enfermedad.

Amyloidoses are diseases caused by the extracellular deposition of a fibrillar and insoluble protein material called amyloid, which can be linked either to light chains (AL) or transthyretin (TTR). Cardiac amyloidosis causes a progressive restrictive cardiomyopathy characterized by heart failure with relatively preserved systolic function, which is associated with high mortality. Although a definitive diagnosis is traditionally based on endomyocardial biopsy, advances in cardiac imaging have improved its approach, and the recent introduction of specific therapies predicts significant changes in prognosis. Since treatment differs according to the type of amyloid involved and the results depend on a prompt implementation, an accurate and early diagnosis is essential. Cardiac scintigraphy with labeled phosphates (99mTc-PYP or others), widely available and relatively inexpensive, is currently considered a "noninvasive molecular biopsy" for the diagnosis of ATTR type amyloidosis, which should be used in conjunction with investigation of monoclonal proteins in patients with clinical suspicion of the disease.

As amiloidoses são doenças causadas pela deposição patológica extracelular de um material proteico fibrilar e insolúvel, denominado amiloide, que pode estar ligado a cadeias leves (AL) ou transtirretina (TTR). A amiloidose cardíaca causa cardiomiopatia restritiva progressiva caracterizada por insuficiência cardíaca com função sistólica relativamente preservada, que está associada a alta mortalidade. Embora o diagnóstico definitivo seja tradicionalmente baseado na biópsia endomiocárdica, os avanços nos exames de imagem aprimoraram sua abordagem e a recente introdução de terapias específicas pode predizer mudanças significativas no prognóstico. O tratamento varia de acordo com o tipo de amiloide envolvida e seu resultado depende do início precoce, por isso um diagnóstico preciso e precoce é essencial. A cintilografia cardíaca com fosfatos marcados (99mTc-PYP ou outros), amplamente disponível e relativamente econômico, é atualmente considerada uma "biópsia molecular não invasiva" para o diagnóstico de amiloidose do tipo ATTR, que deve ser usada em conjunto com a investigação de proteínas monoclonais em pacientes com suspeita clínica da doença.

Pre-operative Non-Invasive Imaging for Neonatal Cholestasis in a Child with Extrahepatic Biliary Atresia

@#Hepatobiliary iminodiacetic acid (HIDA) scintigraphy is a non-invasive, functional imaging of the hepatobiliary system that serves as an adjunct imaging modality for neonatal cholestasis work-up. In view of the urgency to diagnose biliary atresia and restore bile flow through surgery, HIDA scintigraphy could help to distinguish between neonatal cholestasis due to biliary atresia and neonatal hepatitis of various causes. We describe a full-term male infant with jaundice beyond the physiological period in which HIDA scintigraphy showed absent tracer excretion from the biliary system into the intestines up to 5 hours on follow-up imaging. The intraoperative diagnosis confirmed the diagnosis of biliary atresia. The prognosis of the patient with biliary atresia depends on early surgical planning and intervention. Therefore, non-invasive diagnostic tools play an important role in the evaluation of a child with neonatal cholestasis.

Rat thyroid graft transplantation after cryopreservation with scintigraphic standardization for an experimental study

Abstract Purpose: Budget cuts among other factors undermine the use of state-of-the-art equipment by many research groups. This doesn't mean that their scientific data are not reliable or top-notch. Resort to adaptations is a recurrent need in their reality. The aim of this study was to assess whether scintigraphy with 99mTcO4 is effective in evaluating the functionality of thyroid grafts after cryopreservation in rats. Material and methods: 24 rats were randomly distributed into 3 groups: Control Group (CG), without surgical procedure, Hypothyroidism Group (HTG), submitted to total thyroidectomy, and Transplanted Group (TG), with total thyroidectomy and cryopreservation of the thyroid gland for 7 days followed by grafting of a thyroid lobe. A protocol using a gamma camera imaging was conducted fourteen weeks after transplantation, and the whole body 99mTc, focusing on the topic of heterotopic thyroid uptake was evaluated. Results: The images acquired had good quality with no noise and artifacts that could jeopardize its analysis. On the 14th day, HTG displayed no thyroid uptake, and the TG had a clear uptake of the thyroid graft in the topography of the biceps femoris muscle. Presented data also showed that both equipment spatial resolution and alignment (4.375 mm) did not interfere with the physiological uptake of 99mTc by the thyroid graft. Conclusion: The viability and functionality of cryopreserved thyroid autotransplantation in rats who underwent total thyroidectomy were successfully accessed by the scintigraphy protocol developed. HIGHLIGHTS Adaptations in validated methods are a recurrent trend due to limited budgets which does not diminish their functionality. Scintigraphy with 99mTcO4 is effective in evaluating the functionality of thyroid grafts after cryopreservation in rats. It is possible to adapt human SPECT for other animals for clinical and research purposes.

Disfunción del esfínter de Oddi: un reporte de caso / Sphincter of Oddi dysfunction: Case report

Resumen La disfunción del esfínter de Oddi es un síndrome clínico causado por una enfermedad funcional (discinesia) o estructural (estenosis). La prevalencia estimada de disfunción del esfínter de Oddi en la población en general es del 1 %; aumentando a 20 % para pacientes con dolor persistente posterior a colecistectomía y a 70 % en pacientes con pancreatitis aguda recurrente idiopática. Se caracteriza clínicamente por la presencia de dolor abdominal, similar al cólico biliar o dolor tipo pancreático en ausencia de patología biliar orgánica; así como en pacientes con pancreatitis recurrente idiopática asociada con elevación de enzimas pancreáticas o hepáticas, y dilatación del conducto biliar o pancreático. El tratamiento para la disfunción del esfínter de Oddi tipo I se basa en la realización de esfinterotomía endoscópica, pero existe controversia en el manejo de la disfunción del esfínter de Oddi tipo II y III. En este artículo se presenta el caso clínico de una paciente de 67 años con antecedente de colecistectomía por laparotomía. Después del procedimiento quirúrgico refirió un dolor abdominal de predominio en el hipocondrio derecho tipo cólico asociado con emesis de características biliares. En el reporte de colangiorresonancia se encontró una ligera dilatación de la vía biliar intrahepática y gammagrafía con ácido iminodiacético hepatobiliar (HIDA) diagnóstica de disfunción del esfínter de Oddi. Se realizó una esfinterotomía endoscópica. En el seguimiento, dos años después, la paciente se encontraba asintomática con la disfunción del esfínter de Oddi resuelta.

Abstract Sphincter of Oddi dysfunction is a clinical syndrome caused by functional (dyskinesia) or structural (stenosis) disease. The estimated prevalence of this condition in the general population is 1%, reaching 20% in patients with persistent pain after cholecystectomy and 70% in patients with idiopathic recurrent acute pancreatitis. It is clinically characterized by the presence of abdominal pain, similar to biliary colic or pancreatic pain in the absence of organic biliary disease. It is also observed in patients with idiopathic recurrent pancreatitis, associated with elevated pancreatic or hepatic enzymes, and bile duct and/or pancreatic duct dilatation. Treatment for sphincter of Oddi dysfunction type I is based on endoscopic sphincterotomy, but there is controversy regarding the management of sphincter of Oddi dysfunction types II and III. This article presents the clinical case of a 67-year-old female patient with a history of cholecystectomy by laparotomy. After the surgical procedure, she reported abdominal pain predominantly in the right hypochondrium, colicky, associated with emesis of biliary characteristics. Cholangioresonance report revealed mild intrahepatic bile duct dilatation, and scintigraphy with HIDA scan showed sphincter of Oddi dysfunction. Endoscopic sphincterotomy was performed. The patient was asymptomatic and the sphincter of Oddi dysfunction had resolved at two-year follow-up.

Correlation of Gastric Scintigraphy and Clinical Symptoms in the Diagnosis of Gastroparesis and its Impact on Quality of Life: A Pan India Real World Study

Background: Gastroparesis with its varied etiology is one of the major health issues in India. Poor correlation between delayed gastric emptying and its symptoms is well-known. This study was planned to evaluate the proportion of confirmed gastroparesis by scintigraphy among patients with suggestive clinical features, their underlying aetiologies and clinical profiling in a real-world setting in India. Settings and Design: Patients clinically diagnosed with gastroparesis, presenting varyingdegreesofsymptoms for at least 12-weeks, were enrolled in this multic-entric,cross-sectional, clinico-epidemiological study. Results: Overall, 196/201 enrolled patients underwent gastric scintigraphy; 88 (45%) were found to be scintigraphically positive and 108 (55%) patients were only clinically positive. Underlying etiologies of gastroparesis were idiopathic (51.2%), type-2 diabetes (44.8%), type-1 diabetes (2.5%) and psychological conditions (1.5%). Most patients presented symptoms like postprandial fullness (75.6%), bloating (50.7%), abdominal pain (45.3%), nausea (41.3%), abdominal discomfort (40.3%), early satiety (37.8%) and vomiting (17.9%) of moderate severity. Common dietary risk factors were fatty diet (66.7%), fiber-rich food (57.7%) and carbonated drinks (18.9%). Weight loss (6.5%), esophagitis (5.5%) and electrolyte disturbances (0.5%) were the associated complications. About 89.8% were on proton-pump inhibitors, followed by prokinetics (51.8%) and antiemetics (8.4%). The mean PAGI-QoL score was 3.6 ± 0.94, suggesting a moderate effect of gastroparesis on QoL. Conclusion: Poor correlation exists between gastric scintigraphy and gastrointestinal symptoms, thus reiterating the significance of the clinical diagnosis of gastroparesis, especially in diabetes. Only about half of the patients were prescribed prokinetics, emphasizing the need for appropriate pharmacotherapy using prokinetics for holistic management of gastroparesis.

Application value of dynamic SPECT 99Tc m-GSA scintigraphy in assessing liver function of perihilar cholangiocarcinoma after portal vein embolization / 中华消化外科杂志

Objective:To investigate the application value of dynamic scintigraphy single-photonemission computed tomography (SPECT) 99m-technetium-galactosyl human serum albumin diethy-lenetriamine pentaacetic ( 99Tc m-GSA) scintigraphy in assessing liver function of perihilar cholangio-carcinoma after portal vein embolization (PVE). Methods:The retrospective and descriptive study was conducted. The clinicopathological data of 16 patients with perihilar cholangiocarcinoma who underwent 99Tc m-GSA scintigraphy after PVE in Beijing Tsinghua Changgung Hospital Affiliated to Tsinghua University from October 2019 to January 2021 were collected. There were 8 males and 8 females, aged from 46 to 78 years, with a median age of 64 years. Observation indicators: (1) liver volume after PVE; (2) liver function after PVE; (3) typical case analysis. Measurement data with normal distribution were represented as Mean± SD. Count data were represented as absolute numbers or percentages. Comparison of data of the same patient was analyzed using the paired t test. Results:(1) Liver volume after PVE:the morphological liver volume and functional liver volume for the 16 patients were (1 420±211)mL and (389±112)mL. The morphological liver volume and functional liver volume were (636±143)mL and (234±106)mL of planning reserved lobe, (784±210)mL and (151±106)mL of planning resection lobe, respectively. The functional liver density (FLD) of planning reserved lobe and planning resection lobe were 0.36±0.12 and 0.19±0.11, showing a significant difference between them ( t=3.794, P<0.05). The planning resection rate of morpholo-gical liver volume and functional liver volume were 37.8%±0.6% and 54.8%±0.2%, showing a significant difference between them ( t=?3.720, P<0.05). (2) Liver function after PVE: 13 of 16 patients completed the indocyanine green (ICG) test, and 3 patients didn't complete the ICG test due to intolerance. For the 13 patients undergoing ICG test, the total ICG-K value was (0.15±0.03)/minutes, and the ICG-K value of planning reserved lobe was (0.07±0.02)/minutes. The total GSA-K value of 16 patients was (0.14±0.10)/minutes, and the GSA-K value of planning reserved lobe was (0.08±0.06)/minutes. (3) Typical case analysis: a 46-year-old male patient with type Bismuth Ⅲa perihilar cholangiocarcinoma was planned to perform perihilar hepatectomy combined with right hepatectomy. The imaging evaluation showed that the volume of reserved liver lobe accounted for 27% of the total liver volume. The serum total bilirubin was 256 μmol/L when admitted and decreased to 118 μmol/L on the day 5 after percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage. The right anterior and right posterior branches of PVE was performed. SPECT 99Tc m-GSA examination was performed on the day 37 after PVE. The morphological liver volume was 559 mL of planned reserved lobe and 1 461 mL of the whole liver. The planned morphological liver volume resection rate was 61.7%. ICG-K was 0.12/minutes of the whole liver, and 0.04/minutes of planned reserved lobe. The functional liver volume was 134 mL of planned reserved lobe and 309 mL of the whole liver. The planned resection rate of functional liver volume was 56.6%. The GSA-K was 0.20/minutes of the whole liver and 0.09/minutes of planned reserved lobe. R 0 resection was achieved in perihilar hepatectomy combined with right hepatectomy and no liver failure occurred. The survival time of patients was 11 months. Conclusion:Dynamic SPECT 99Tc m-GSA scintigraphy can effectively evaluate the regional function of the reserved liver lobe in patients with perihilar cholangiocarcinoma after PVE.

Osteofibrous Dysplasia-like Adamantinoma Mimicking Bone Metastasis in a Patient With Rectosigmoid Cancer

@#A patient with underlying rectosigmoid cancer presented with solitary bone lesion at left tibia. Eventhough, solitary bone metastasis particularly in the appendicular skeleton is rare in rectosigmoid cancer, it remained as the most likely initial diagnosis. However, after further characterisation by various imaging modalities and subsequent biopsy, the lesion proved to be an osteofibrous dysplasia like-adamantinoma (OFD-like adamantinoma), which is a subtype of adamantinoma. Being a rare primary bone tumour, adamantinoma and its subtypes are infrequently thought of in the initial working diagnosis of a patient with known malignancy who presents with solitary bone lesion. We present here a case of OFD-like adamantinoma in a patient with underlying rectosigmoid cancer, which mimic a metastastic bone lesion.

Systematic review and meta-analysis comparing the diagnostic utility of Tc-99m tagged RBC scintigraphy with CT-angiography imaging studies in diagnosing lower gastrointestinal bleeding

Background@#Lower Gastrointestinal bleeding (LGIB) is a serious and urgent condition which can be assessed using several different modalities. Tc-99m tagged RBC scintigraphy has been established as a diagnostic tool in Nuclear Medicine but several other modalities, including CT-based imaging (i.e. angiography) currently exist. @*Objective@#The objective of this study is to compare Tc-99m tagged RBC scintigraphy with CT-based imaging studies in terms of clinical utility and diagnostic outcomes. @*Methods@#A systematic review of available literature was done, with the goal of creating a meta-analysis focusing on the reported diagnostic outcomes - mainly sensitivity and specificity on the presence of a LGIB. Aside from this, a systematic review of the clinical utility and the differences of each test were discussed, including non-quantifiable advantages. The literature search was conducted following the guidelines of PRISMA, with searches from PubMed, Medline, and other pertinent databases. Quality assurance was done using the QUADAS tool. Statistical analyses of sensitivity, specificity, and a summary receiver operating characteristics plot were computed for the meta-analysis.@*Results@#Pooled sensitivity and specificity for RBC scintigraphy were 0.886 and 0.119, respectively. Pooled sensitivity and specificity for CT-based imaging were 0.729 and 0.660, respectively. CT based imaging also showed higher localization and faster completion times. RBC scintigraphy had a longer acquisition window.@*Conclusion@#Both Tc99m-tagged RBC scintigraphy and CT-based imaging have important clinical utility, with each modality having different advantages that the other test cannot provide.

Aspirin plus verapamil relieves angina and perfusion abnormalities in patients with coronary microvascular dysfunction and Chagas disease: a pilot non-randomized study

Abstract INTRODUCTION: Most patients with chronic cardiomyopathy of Chagas disease (CCCD) harbor a secondary cause of coronary microvascular dysfunction (CMD), for which there is no evidence-based therapy. We evaluated the impact of verapamil plus aspirin on symptoms and perfusion abnormalities in patients with CCCD and CMD. METHODS: Consecutive patients with angina pectoris, who had neither coronary artery obstructions nor moderate-severe left ventricular dysfunction (left ventricular ejection fraction > 40%) despite showing wall motion abnormalities on ventriculography, were referred for invasive angiography and tested for Chagas disease. Thirty-two patients with confirmed CCCD and ischemia on stress-rest SPECT myocardial perfusion scintigraphy (MPS) were included. Clinical evaluation, quality of life (EQ-5D/ Seattle Angina Questionnaire), and MPS were assessed before and after 3 months of treatment with oral verapamil plus aspirin (n=26) or placebo (n=6). RESULTS: The mean patient age was 64 years, and 18 (56%) were female. The ischemic index summed difference score (SDS) in MPS was significantly reduced by 55.6% after aspirin+verapamil treatment. A decrease in SDS was observed in 20 (77%) participants, and in 10 participants, no more ischemia could be detected. Enhancements in quality of life were also detected. No change in symptoms or MPS was observed in the placebo group. CONCLUSIONS: This low-cost 3-month treatment for patients diagnosed with CCCD and CMD was safe and resulted in a 55.6% reduction in ischemic burden, symptomatic improvement, and better quality of life.

Análogos de somatostatina radiomarcados en el acercamiento diagnóstico del síndrome de Sjögren: Imágenes moleculares aportando a los criterios clínicos y paraclínicos hoy conocidos / Radiolabelled somatostatin analogues in the diagnostic approach to Sjögren's syndrome: molecular imaging contributing to the current clinical and para-clinical criteria

RESUMEN El diagnóstico del síndrome de Sjögren se basa en los criterios del consenso americano y europeo (AECG), sin embargo, en muchas oportunidades no se alcanza a detectar el compromiso glandular o extraglandular. Presentamos la evidencia de la utilidad de la gammagrafía con los análogos de somatostatina radiomarcados como prueba novedosa en el acercamiento diagnóstico al compromiso glandular y extraglandular del síndrome de Sjögren.

ABSTRACT Sjögren syndrome is diagnosed using American European Consensus Group (AECG) criteria, although frequently these criteria are not enough to detect the glandular and extra-glandular compromise. Evidence is presented on the use of whole body somatostatin scintigraphy as a novel probe in the diagnostic approach to the glandular and extra-glandular compromise in Sjögren s syndrome.

Amiloidosis cardíaca: revisión de una serie de casos / Cardiac amyloidosis: a review of a series of cases

Resumen Antecedentes y objetivo: La amiloidosis cardíaca es una entidad que permanece infradiagnosticada, a pesar de los avances recientes en su diagnóstico y tratamiento. El objetivo de este estudio es revisar una serie de casos de amiloidosis cardíaca para describir los principales datos clínicos y los hallazgos en las pruebas de imagen. Materiales y métodos: Estudio retrospectivo de pacientes con diagnóstico principal o secundario de amiloidosis cardíaca en los informes de alta de pacientes hospitalizados en este centro desde 2006 hasta 2016. Se revisaron los datos clínicos de los pacientes, así como las pruebas de imagen (ECG, ecocardiograma, gammagrafía cardíaca, resonancia magnética cardíaca). Se realizó seguimiento de los pacientes hasta enero de 2018. Resultados: Se analiza a 30 pacientes (20 varones) con media de 65 años. Los principales datos ecocardiográficos fueron dilatación biauricular, disfunción diastólica e hipertrofia ventricular izquierda (HVI) en un 97%. Sólo el 6.7% cumplía criterios de HVI en el electrocardiograma. Hasta un 33% tenía disfunción sistólica. Se realizó gammagrafía y resonancia magnética cardíaca en un 33%. La supervivencia a los 12 meses fue de 61%. Conclusión: La presencia de insuficiencia cardíaca, fibrilación auricular o trastornos de conducción junto a datos ecocardiográficos indicativos debe alertar al clínico. Otros datos como disfunción sistólica o sexo femenino no deben disminuir la sospecha. El estudio debe completarse con gammagrafía y resonancia magnética cardíaca, ya que el diagnóstico temprano tiene implicaciones pronósticas y terapéuticas.

Abstract Background and objective: Cardiac amyloidosis is an entity that remains underdiagnostic, despite recent advances in its diagnosis and treatment. The aim of this study is to review a series of diagnosed cases of cardiac amyloidosis to describe the main clinical data and the findings in the imaging tests. Materials and methods: Retrospective study of patients with primary or secondary diagnosis of cardiac amyloidosis in discharge reports of patients hospitalized in our center from 2006 to 2016. The clinical data of the patients were reviewed, as well as the imaging tests (ECG, echocardiogram, cardiac scintigraphy, cardiac magnetic resonance). Patients were followed until January 2018. Results: We analyze 30 patients (20 men) with an average of 65 years. The main echocardiographic data were biatrial dilatation, diastolic dysfunction and left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) in 97%. Only 6.7% met criteria for LVH in the electrocardiogram. Up to 33% had systolic dysfunction. Scintigraphy and cardiac magnetic resonance were performed in 33%. Survival at 12 months was 61%. Conclusion: The presence of heart failure, atrial fibrillation or conduction disorders with suggestive echocardiographic data should alert the clinician. Other data such as systolic dysfunction or female sex should not decrease the suspicion. The study should be completed with gammagraphy and cardiac magnetic resonance since early diagnosis has prognostic and therapeutic implications.

Hiperparatiroidismo primario por adenoma con gammagrafía negativa / Primary hyperparathyroidism due to negative scintigraphy adenoma

Introducción: El hiperparatiroidismo es una de las causas más frecuente de hipercalcemia. El 85 por ciento de los pacientes son mayores de treinta años, su frecuencia más alta se encuentra por encima de 60 años, a largo plazo puede producir una serie de complicaciones. Objetivo: Describir el caso clínico de hiperparatiroidismo primario que resultó negativa al estudio de gammagrafía con localización ectópica del adenoma. Caso Clínico: Paciente femenina de 20 años con antecedentes de litiasis renal y uretral de 7 años de evolución, la cual se sometió a 13 sesiones de litotricia y dos cirugías renales con recidivas, hace 6 meses se detectó cifras elevadas de calcio. Se realiza protocolo de estudio de hipercalcemia determinándose hiperparatiroidismo primario, ultrasonido y tomografía de cuello reportan lesión que podría corresponder a un adenoma paratiroideo paratraqueal; sin embargo, la gammagrafía con metoxi-isobutilisonitrilo y tecnecio 99 fue negativa. Se realizó cirugía de cuello convencional ya que la cirugía radioguiada no fue útil para la localización del adenoma paratiroideo intraoperatorio. Estudio histopatológico reportó adenoma paratiroideo. Conclusiones: En adenomas paratiroideo con gammagrafía negativa se puede hacer el diagnostico con estudios de imagen convencional. La localización ectópica del adenoma paratiroideo constituye una causa de gammagrafía negativa. La cirugía radioguiada no es útil en los adenomas paratiroides ectópicos con gammagrafía negativa(AU)

Introduction: Hyperparathyroidism is one of the most frequent causes of hypercalcemia. 85 percent of patients are older than thirty years, its highest frequency is over 60 years, in the long term it can produce a series of complications. Objective: To describe a clinical case of primary hyperparathyroidism that was negative in the scintigraphy study with ectopic location of the adenoma. Clinical case report: A 20-year-old female patient with a 7-year history of renal and urethral lithiasis, who had undergone 13 lithotripsy sessions and two recurrent kidney surgeries. Six months ago, elevated calcium levels were detected. A study protocol for hypercalcemia was carried out, determining primary hyperparathyroidism. Ultrasound and neck tomography report a lesion that could correspond to a paratracheal parathyroid adenoma; however, methoxy-isobutylisonitrile and technetium-99 scintigraphy was negative. Conventional neck surgery was performed since radioguided surgery was not useful for locating the intraoperative parathyroid adenoma. Histopathological study reported parathyroid adenoma. Conclusions: In parathyroid adenomas with negative scintigraphy, the diagnosis can be reached with conventional imaging studies. The ectopic location of the parathyroid adenoma is a cause of negative scintigraphy. Radioguided surgery is not helpful in scan-negative ectopic parathyroid adenomas(AU)

‘Sub-superscan’ in Bone Scan – An Important Feature of Extensive Bone Metastases

@#A Superscan is described as a ‘beautiful bone scan’. In a superscan, the uptake of 99mTc-Methelene Diphosphonate (MDP) is prominent in the skeleton relative to soft tissue with absent or faint visualisation of the kidneys. This finding could be misinterpreted as a normal bone scan. A ‘Sub-superscan’ is a term used for scan findings in which the uptake is atypical of a superscan, but the patient has extensive bone metastases, as presented in our case report.

Diagnosis of pulmonary embolism: A comparison between ventilation/perfusion SPECT/CT and perfusion-only SPECT/CT

@#Background: The role of nuclear medicine in diagnosing pulmonary embolism (PE) is continuously evolving owing to advancements in imaging methods. In recent years, ventilation/perfusion single photon emission computed tomography-computed tomography (V/Q SPECT/CT) has established a synergistic role over conventional V/Q planar scintigraphy and V/Q SPECT in diagnosing pulmonary embolism. Objectives: In this study, we aimed to assess the incremental value of V/Q SPECT/CT over conventional V/Q planar scintigraphy and V/Q SPECT, and to determine if Q only-SPECT/CT without the conventional ventilation component could replace the current imaging protocol in diagnosing pulmonary embolism. Methods: We retrospectively assessed 73 patients with suspicion of pulmonary embolism who had undergone/Q planar scintigraphy, V/Q SPECT and V/Q SPECT/CT consecutively. Combination of clinical follow-up, laboratory test results and correlative imaging were used as reference standard. Q-only SPECT/CT datasets were then analysed separately without the V-planar, V-SPECT and V-SPECT/CT datasets. Results: A total of 66 patients fulfilled our initial inclusion and exclusion criteria, with 23 patients as positive for PE and 43 patients ruled out of having PE based on the reference standard. Sensitivity and specificity for V/P planar scintigraphy, V/Q SPECT, and V/Q SPECT-CT were 86.9% and 39.5%, 91.3% and 55.8%, and 100% and 97.6% respectively. Overall, SPECT/CT resulted in significantly higher diagnostic accuracy than planar and SPECT imaging respectively (p<0.05). Q-only SPECT/CT significantly over diagnosed pulmonary embolism in 12 patients (p<0.05). Conclusion: Adding V/Q SPECT/CT to the algorithm of PE significantly improves the sensitivity and specificity. However, by eliminating the ventilation component, the diagnostic accuracy is significantly reduced.

Accidente cerebro vascular visualizado en gammagrafía conTc-99m MDP, un hallazgo extraóseo inusual / Stroke in scintigraphy with Tc-99m MDP, an unusual extraosseous finding / Acidente vascular cerebral visualizado na cintilografia com Tc-99m MDP, um achado extra-sensorial incomum

Se presenta el caso de un paciente con antecedente de adenocarcinoma de próstata y diagnóstico de ACV isquémico con transformación hemorrágica. La gammagrafía ósea con Tc-99m MDP complementada con SPECT e imágenes de fusión con TC cerebral simple, realizada a los 15 días, muestra hipercaptación en la región temporal izquierda, correspondiente al ACV en etapa subaguda.

We present the case of a patient with a history of prostate adenocarcinoma with a diagnosis of ischemic stroke with hemorrhagic transformation. Bone scintigraphy with Tc-99m MDP supplemented with SPECT and fusion images with simple cerebral CT, performed at 15 days, shows uptake in the left temporal region, corresponding to stroke in subacute stage

Apresentamos o caso de um paciente com história de adenocarcinoma de próstata com diagnóstico de acidente vascular cerebral isquêmico com transformação hemorrágica. A cintilografia óssea com Tc-99m MDP suplementada com SPECT e imagens de fusão com TC cerebral simple, realizadas aos 15 dias, mostra captação na região temporal esquerda, correspondente ao ACV na fase subaguda