Tc-99m MIBI scintimammography (SMM) in the evaluation of palpable breast masses.

ABSTRACT

Radionuclide breast imaging, also called scintimammography (SMM) was performed using Tc-99m MIBI in 37 patients with palpable breast masses. A total of 38 lesions were analyzed. Twenty cases subsequently underwent modified radical mastectomy while the remainder underwent only biopsy or fine needle aspiration for histologic proof. The average size of the masses were 3.03+1.61 x 4.10+2.89 cm in diameter. Twenty-six lesions were malignant and 12 were benign; 23 malignancies showed positive MIBI uptake but three did not. The false negative cases were all invasive ductal carcinomas. Nine benign lesions were true negatives and three were false positives. They were mastitis, foreign-body granuloma and fat necrosis which chronic inflammation. Of 14 cases which histologically proved to have axillary node metastasis, only 7 revealed positive MIBI uptake. The sensitivity and spectively. However, in the detection of axillary node metastasis, the sensitivity was only 50 percent. Thus, Tc-99m MIBI SMM is helpful in the diagnosis of routine mammography. However, the imaging is not accurate enough for the detection of axillary node metastasis. In addition, Tc-99m MIBUI SMM also plays an important role in terms of prognosis and therapeutic planning in patients with breast cancer.