ABSTRACT
A clinical observation of focal accumulation of 99(m)Tc-pyrophosphate in aortic aneurysm, simulating skeletal pathology of the lumbar vertebra in planar scintigraphy mode, is presented. Additional single-photon emission computed tomography combined with computed tomography-something view allowed to confirm that the radiotracer uptake focus was localized in the distal part of the aneurysm, in the zone of lumen subocclusion by a calcified thrombus. It is suggested that the local tracer accumulation is not only due to calcification but also due to inflammatory, a factor that plays a role in the genesis of aortic aneurysm.
Subject(s)
Aortic Aneurysm/pathology , Technetium Tc 99m Pyrophosphate/pharmacology , Vascular Calcification/diagnostic imaging , Aged , Artifacts , Bone Neoplasms/diagnosis , Bone Neoplasms/secondary , Female , Humans , Radionuclide Imaging/methods , Radiopharmaceuticals/pharmacology , Tomography, X-Ray Computed/methodsABSTRACT
Based on the analysis of the data available in the literature and own clinical observations, the authors consider the diagnostic value of the little known scintigraphic phantom kidney phenomenon, a vascular pool that is detected at the angiographic stage of 99mTc-DTPA dynamic renal scintigraphy and that mimics a removed or absent kidney. The paper describes two cases of the phantom kidney. In one case, the phantom kidney detected on the side of nephrectomy manifested a kidney cancer recurrence in the bed of the removed organ; in the other, the kidney-like vascular pool in the patient with left-sided pelvic dystopic kidney was due to the recording of the intestinal vasculature at the site of the expected kidney location. Adherence to a number of methodical conditions for conducting a study, as well as combined single-photon emission computed tomography/computed tomography examination will be able to avoid interpretation errors and to ensure an adequate further diagnostic algorithm.
Subject(s)
Diagnostic Errors/prevention & control , Kidney Neoplasms , Neoplasm Recurrence, Local/diagnosis , Nephrectomy/adverse effects , Aged , Humans , Kidney Neoplasms/pathology , Kidney Neoplasms/surgery , Male , Middle Aged , Nephrectomy/methods , Radionuclide Angiography/methodsABSTRACT
Increased cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) may be attributed to the fact that a systemic inflammation existing in this disease may trigger the development of atherosclerosis. 99mTC-MIBI (4,2-methoxyisobutyl isonitrile) is a compound that permits myocardial perfusion to be visualized and has been proposed for the evaluation of the latter in patients with RA. Analysis of the results of the studies revealed transient myocardial ischemia areas in patients who did not take methotrexate while those who used it were found to have diminished perfusion areas that were, however, clinical insignificant.
