Immunoscintigraphy for the detection of brain abscesses.

The aim of this prospective study was to assess the diagnostic usefulness of a 99Tcm-anti-granulocyte antibody in the early differentiation of the aetiology of a ring-enhancing structure on computed tomography (CT) scans following neurosurgical intervention. In 26 patients (15 males, 11 females) aged 20-82 years with suspected intracranial infection, 29 SPET scans of the head were obtained 4-6 h following the intravenous injection of 555 MBq 99Tcm-anti-granulocyte antibody. The patients had antibiotic, antimycotic or corticosteroid therapy. The diagnosis was confirmed by surgery (19 cases) or subsequent CT/MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) scans and clinical follow-up (10 cases). The immunoscan was true-positive (abscess) in 6 (sensitivity = 100%), true-negative in 19 and false-positive in 4 (specificity 83%) cases. There was no obvious detrimental effect on the results due to the antibiotic, antimycotic or corticosteroid therapy. In conclusion, despite false-positive results, the 99Tcm-anti-granulocyte antibody is a useful tool in the early detection and exclusion of intracranial abscess after neurosurgical interventions.

[Inflammatory paranasal sinus processes and ophthalmoplegia--the expanded diagnostic potentials via computed tomography and magnetic resonance tomography]. / Entzündliche Nasennebenhöhlenprozesse und Ophthalmoplegie--erweiterte diagnostische Möglichkeiten durch Computertomographie und Kernspintomographie.

The ethmoidal sinus often plays a key role in recurring infectious sinusitis. Infections arising from this area are the cause of failure of some conventional and radical operative therapies. The case studies presented here demonstrate that transnasal surgery of the ethmoidal sinus because of an inflammatory process, can cause serious complications. Worsening of the vision with opacity of the paranasal sinuses is not always due to an inflammation. Corresponding disease courses which indicate a connection between eye function disturbances and processes of the paranasal sinuses are presented. A correlation between inflammatory and tumorous diseases of the adjacent paranasal sinuses with ophthalmologic signs can be shown in many patients via computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging. These methods contribute to the diagnosis of the disease, determination of complications, differential diagnostic evaluation of benign and malignant space-occupying lesions, tumour staging, therapy planning, control of the disease course, early recognition of tumour recurrence and documentation.