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The clinical value of 13N-ammonia PET is reviewed by using previously published articles with significant evidence level. This meta-analysis indicated that due to excellent myocardial blood flow images, 13N-ammonia PET permits better diagnostic accuracy of ischemic heart disease and viability assessment than myocardial perfusion SPECT. Furthermore, quantitative assessment of myocardial blood flow (MBF) in absolute units can be performed using 13N-ammonia PET. MBF measurement is a useful tool to evaluate cardiac pathophysiology and monitor therapeutic effects of cardiac disease and cardiovascular risk factors.

It is important to know FDG accumulation in the normal distributions for interpreting whole-body PET imaging for tumor detection. Twenty-eight normal subjects were studied with whole-body PET imaging and were examined the intensity of FDG uptake in major organs and the factors which caused it's variety. Emission images were acquired and images were reconstructed without attenuation correction. The intensity of FDG uptake was classified into 4 grades visually. No accumulation was found in the thyroid, the esophagus and the spleen. The oral cavity, the liver, the stomach, and the colon were visualized in all subjects. The laryngeal muscle, the cervical muscle, and the heart accumulated FDG with various grade from 1 to 4 grades. No association was found between the intensity of uptake in the organs and volunteer's age. The fasting time was shorter in volunteers whose heart showed "high" grade than those showed less accumulation (p < 0.05). Serum concentration of free fatty acid was significantly lower in them, too (p < 0.05). Various FDG uptake was observed in many organs, especially the laryngeal muscle, the cervical muscle, and the heart. In our study, there was no facter which caused FDG uptake in organs except for the fasting time and the value of free fatty acid in the heart. Such analysis of whole-body FDG distributions in the normal subjects is valuable for tumor detection with FDG-PET.

Each of myocardial blood flow imaging agents has a potential usefulness as an agent for tumor scintigraphy. The tumor accumulation and washout of 99mTc-tetrofosmin and 99mTc-MIBI were comparatively studied using rabbits bearing VX-2 cancer. From seventeen to twenty days after the implantation of VX-2 cancer into the femoral region of seven rabbits, tumor to soft tissue accumulation ratio (T/S ratio) of each agent was calculated in early images (5 min after injection) and in late images (50 min after injection). Compared with 99mTc-tetrofosmin, the T/S ratio of 99mTc-MIBI was higher and, moreover, the washout was delayed. These results suggest that there is a difference in tumor accumulation property between these two agents.

We investigated the characteristics of 123I-Iomazenil (IMZ) SPECT images in 12 adults (six males and six females, with a mean age of 56.1 years). The washout rate of 123I-IMZ from the brain was estimated from two SPECTs done 15 min and 3 hr after injection. Although the washout was relatively slow, the rates differed in each intracerebral region, suggesting that the distribution of 123I-IMZ was gradually changing. Furthermore, assuming 123I-IMZ kinetics in the brain for the three-compartment, two-parameter model, the transition rate constant (K1) from the blood to the brain and the binding potentials (BP) of benzodiazepine to the receptor were calculated. The BP and K1 values were compared with 123I-IMZ SPECT counts and CBF values by 123I-IMP. The BP values correlated more closely with the counts on the delayed SPECT than those on the early SPECT. It was confirmed that delayed SPECT images reflect better the distribution of the benzodiazepine receptor than early images do. On the other hand, the K1 values correlated highly with CBF obtained by 123I-IMP, and this finding suggested that super-early SPECT images might be remarkably influenced by the distribution of CBF.

We performed serial brain perfusion SPECT studies using 123I-IMP in the course of cryptococcal meningoencephalitis. Increased perfusion was detected in the cerebellum coinciding with the appearance of the abnormality on MRI. The perfusion in the lesion was then decreased as the abnormality on MRI disappeared. Cryptococcal meningoencephalitis should be also taken in the differential diagnosis when the inflammatory brain lesion shows increased perfusion.

In this study we investigated the detectability of abnormal parathyroid gland(s) by 99mTc-methoxyisobutylisonitrile (MIBI) scintigraphy in patients with hyperparathyroidism. The subjects were 6 patients with primary hyperparathyroidism (PHP) with a single adenoma and 13 patients with renal hyperparathyroidism (RHP) on chronic maintenance hemodialysis. The imaging data of 99mTc-pertechnetate were subtracted from those of 99mTc-MIBI (MIBI-Tc), and number and location of the positive images on scintigrams were compared with those obtained by conventional scintigraphy using 201Tl-Cl and 99mTc-pertechnetate (Tl-Tc). All of the patients underwent surgery, and the number and location of the abnormal parathyroid glands were confirmed. The number of resected parathyroid glands were 6 in PHP and 52 in RHP. The detectability of MIBI-Tc was 83.3% in PHP and 51.9% in RHP, while that of Tl-Tc was 100% and 44.2%, respectively. Although no statistically significant difference in the detectability was found between MIBI-Tc and Tl-Tc, the number of false positives with MIBI-Tc was less than that with Tl-Tc. The detectability of MIBI-Tc depended on the size of the parathyroid gland. The maximal diameter and weight of the smallest parathyroid gland detected were 15 mm and 290 mg in PHP, and 9 mm and 50 mg in RHP. The existence of the thyroid gland did not reduce the detectability of MIBI-Tc. In conclusion, MIBI-Tc was clinically very useful for the detection of abnormal parathyroid glands in patients with hyperparathyroidism.

Each of blood flow imaging agents has a potential usefulness as an agent for tumor scintigraphy. The usefulness for tumor scintigraphy of two agents, i.e. cerebral blood flow scintigraphy agent 99mTc-HM-PAO and myocardial blood flow scintigraphy agent 99mTc-MIBI, was comparatively studied using rabbits bearing VX-2 cancer. From then to twenty days after the implantation of VX-2 cancer into the femoral region of five rabbits, tumor to soft tissue accumulation ratio (T/S ratio) of each agent was calculated in early images (5 min after injection) and in late images (50 min after injection). Compared with 99mTc-MIBI, the T/S ratio of 99mTc-HM-PAO was higher and, moreover, the washout was delayed. These results suggest that there is a difference in tumor accumulation property between these two agents.

The usefulness of a new cerebral perfusion imaging radiopharmaceutical, 99mTc-ethyl cysteinate dimer (ECD), was clinically evaluated. The subjects of this study were 14 patients with neurological disorders including 10 patients with cerebral infarction and 4 patients with other diseases. A total of 15 examinations was performed. 99mTc-HM-PAO or 123I-IMP SPECTs were performed simultaneously, and the findings from those examinations were compared with 99mTc-ECD. As to the count ratio of lesions to normal area (L/N), the L/N ratio in severe ischemic patients was lower in 99mTc-ECD than in 99mTc-HM-PAO or 123I-IMP. In mild ischemic patients, on the other hand, the L/N ratio was the lowest in 123I-IMP. When the relationship between rCBFs obtained from 123I-IMP and the values of L/N in 99mTc-ECD or 99mTc-HM-PAO was compared, the values of L/N in 99mTc-ECD or 99mTc-HM-PAO were found to have decreased linearity with increasing rCBF. In a patient showing luxury perfusion, the accumulation pattern of 99mTc-ECD was different from that of the other two radiopharmaceuticals, and focal defect was revealed in 99mTc-ECD SPECT. On the dynamic SPECT of 99mTc-ECD in a patient with meningioma, the tumor showed a change from high to low perfusion with the passage of time. This finding indicated that care should be taken in the evaluation of accumulation of 99mTc-ECD. Therefore, 99mTc-ECD was found to be useful as a cerebral perfusion agent. In addition, as accumulation of 99mTc-ECD might somehow reflect metabolism in some cases, further careful investigation of many cases should be carried out.

In vitro fundamental studies of 99mTc-ethyl cysteinate dimer (99mTc-ECD), a newly developed radiopharmaceutical for cerebral perfusion scintigraphy, were performed, and were compared with those of 99mTc-HM-PAO, which has been widely applied to clinical use. 99mTc-HM-PAO should not only be injected soon after reconstitution, but also be avoided mixture with saline or drugs such as Diamox, because of its radiochemical purity decreases with the passage of time and the addition of saline and Diamox. On the other hand, the radiochemical purity of 99mTc-ECD reached a constant level of 94-96% at 30 to 180 min after reconstitution, and it remained stable against the addition of saline and Diamox. Therefore, it was suggested that 99mTc-ECD could be injected from an already saline-infused venous-line or mixed with Diamox. However, early injection after reconstitution should be avoided, because 99mTc-ECD did not become stable enough to maintain sufficient radiochemical purity until 30 min after reconstitution. The present studies are suggested that the red blood cell component is largely related to the metabolism of 99mTc-ECD in blood. Furthermore, from study of the metabolic rate using rabbit blood, it was suggested that a species difference existed in esterase activity in blood.

A 37-year-old woman entered our hospital because of bilateral knee pain. Tc-99m HMDP bone scintigram demonstrated increased activity in the bilateral patellae and cold lesion in the center and left lateral segments of the left patellae, so-called doughnut pattern. Trephine biopsy was performed to prove bilateral idiopathic asepct osteonecrosis of the patellae. The knee pain subsided and a bone scan 5 months later demonstrated increased activity in the bilateral patellae more widely than initial scan. We report the usefulness of Tc-99m HMDP bone scintigraphy to observe a reparative phase of idiopathic asepct osteonecrosis of the patellae.

The diagnostic accuracy of ECG gated blood pool SPECT (blood pool SPECT) for detecting and quantify postinfarction left ventricular aneurysm (LVA) was assessed in 49 patients with myocardial infarction and 15 control subjects. LVA, which was detected in 35 of 49 patients, was defined as a regional protrusion through a cardiac cycle in contrast ventriculography and as a non-contracting segment with a markedly delayed phase angle in the tomographic functional images derived from phase analysis. The blood pool SPECT technique showed a high sensitivity (100%), specificity (78.6%) and accuracy (93.3%) for detecting LVA and was very useful for precisely determining LVA location and sizing contractile and non-contractile volume of left ventricle in patients with LVA. Furthermore, left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) after the excision of LVA was predicted using preoperative pool SPECT images in 9 patients. The predicted LVEF was closely correlated with the measured LVEF after the operation (y = 1.09x-4.37, r = 0.87, p less than 0.01). Thus, gated blood pool SPECT can be a useful non-invasive technique not only for detecting and quantifying left ventricular aneurysm but also for predicting a residual left ventricular function after aneurysmectomy.

Histopathology and scan findings of hot nodule on 99mTcO4- and/or 123I were correlated in 34 patients with thyroid nodules. In a series of 30 hot nodular lesions, 29 were either adenomas or benign nodules; however, one was proved follicular carcinomas histopathologically. And four patients were chronic thyroiditis without nodular lesions in the thyroid lobes, which were diagnosed pathologically and clinically. In 6 patients with palpable thyroid nodules, thyroid scans performed with both 99mTcO4- and 123I were compared. A discrepancy of the two types of scan existed in only one case. Subsequent surgery revealed no malignancy in this patient. From the results of 201T1 imaging of the thyroid gland in 30 patients with cold or hot nodules on either 99mTcO4- or 123I thyroid scanning, we found no distinct difference between the degrees of 201T1 malignant and nonmalignant tumors. It appears that 201T1 accumulation demonstrates only tumor volume and tumor cell viability in these subjects. From these results, it is confirmed that the functional heterogeneities exist in thyroid adenoma tissues as well as in thyroid cancerous tissues. Therefore, the development of the reliable techniques used to distinguish a benign from malignant lesion is indispensable.

This is a report for an unusual case of oxyphilic cell adenocarcinoma originating from anterior mediastinum in a 36-year-old male who complained of his neck lymphoadenopathy. 201Tl whole body scanning showed increased uptake of the left supraclavicular and upper mediastinal regions. There was no history of prior operation nor irradiation to the thyroid or neck region. Chest CT scanning also demonstrated the tumor in the superior mediastinum, but the mass has no increased 67Ga uptake. No tumor in the thyroid lobes was apparent on thyroid scintiscanning, ultrasonography and neck CT. The mediastinal tumor resection, the right and left thyroid lobectomy and the neck lymphonodectomy were completed. Serial sectioning of the resected thyroid lobes failed to show any tumorous tissue. The light microscopic features of a Hurthle-cell tumor arising in the mediastinal ectopic thyroid and diagnosed by neck lymph node biopsy were presented. The tumor was clinically malignant, having metastasized to the bone and the neck lymph nodes. Non surgical treatment including radioactive iodine (131I) therapy and combination chemotherapy were disappointing. The patient deteriorated progressively and died 16 months after thyroidectomy. We describe here an unusual case of a papillary growing and thyroglobulin producing tumor in the superior mediastinal region without evidence of a primary thyroid gland tumor.

In order to confirm the diagnosis and clarify the pathophysiology in the ischemic lesions in brain, 99mTc-PAO SPECT was performed in 42 patients with ischemic cerebral diseases, and the findings on 99mTc-PAO SPECT were compared with those on 123I-IMP or 99mTc-DTPA SPECT, and on X-CT. Furthermore, count ratio of ischemic lesion to normal contralateral region (I/N) was used for the evaluation of the detectability in the lesions on 99mTc-PAO or 123I-IMP SPECT, and less than 0.95 of I/N ratio was defined as the decreased accumulation. The detectability of ischemic lesion in brain with 99mTc-PAO SPECT was 80%, which was superior to that (60%) of LDA on X-CT. Especially, 99mTc-PAO SPECT was useful in cases which were examined early after the onset of the attack. On the other hand, 123I-IMP SPECT showed the best result (88%) in the detectability, and furthermore I/N ratio on 123I-IMP SPECT was lower than that on 99mTc-PAO SPECT. In the delayed phase on 123I-IMP SPECT the redistribution was observed in 30%, while on 99mTc-PAO SPECT it was done in none of them. The accumulation of 99mTc-DTPA in brain was found in 6 of 14 cases (43%), and 2 cases among them also showed the accumulation of 99mTc-PAO in the ischemic lesion. In such cases the destruction of BBB might be considered as the cause of the accumulation of 99mTc-PAO. Thus, 99mTc-PAO SPECT was thought to be useful method in clinical studies of the ischemic cerebral diseases.

N-isopropyl-[123I]-p-iodoamphetamine (123I-IMP) and 99mTc-hexamethylpropyleneamine oxime (99mTc-HM-PAO) SPECT were performed in a 66 yrs-old female patient with Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD). The decreased accumulation of both radiopharmaceuticals, which localized initially in the focal regions and progressed eventually to the whole brain, were observed in the early stage of CJD, when no abnormal findings were obtained on X-CT. Although the redistribution of 123I-IMP was recognized in the relatively early stage in which the accumulation was significantly decreased, it disappeared with the progression of the disease. The accumulation of both radiopharmaceuticals which decreased remarkably in the early stage of CJD was sustained in low level during the chronic stage. The accumulation ratio of 99mTc-HM-PAO, after second examinations, to that on first SPECT was lower than those of 123I-IMP. It was suggested, as this cause, that the difference of the accumulation mechanism of both agents might be concerned. Thus, it is interested to follow up a patient with CJD by using 123I-IMP and 99mTc-HM-PAO SPECT, and this modality will provide a useful information to clarify the pathogenesis of CJD.

99mTc-labeled red blood cells (RBCs) scintigraphy was useful to detect the site of gastrointestinal (GI) tract bleeding in a 30-year-old woman. Other examinations, double-contrast barium meal study, fiberscopy and conventional contrast arteriography were unsuccessful in diagnosis. A surgical treatment was performed and GI tract bleeding from ileal pyogenic granuloma was proved. In this case the patient had no other obvious hemangioma or pyogenic granuloma. Pyogenic granuloma occurs most commonly on the exposed skin areas and very rare on the intestine.

Single photon emission computed tomographies (SPECTs) by using N-isopropyl-p-[123I-IMP]-iodo-amphetamine (123I-IMP) and 99mTc-hexamethyl propyleneamine oxime (99mTc-HM-PAO) were serially performed in a 70 yrs. old male with herpes simplex encephalitis (HSE), and the chronological changes of accumulations were studied. Accumulations of both 123I-IMP and 99mTc-HM-PAO increased initially, and then decreased with the stage of HSE being advanced. The sequential appearance of the lesion in HSE with 123I-IMP and 99mTc-HM-PAO SPECTs was as same as that reported previously by X-CT; beginning at the temporal lobe with eventually being spread to the occipital and frontal lobe. Furthermore, it was shown that findings of both SPECTs could reflect considerably the clinical features, and the laboratory data in central spinal fluid. Thus, 123I-IMP and 99mTc-HM-PAO SPECTs seemed to be a useful tool in the diagnosis, deciding of whether the treatment was suspended or continued, and clarifying the pathophysiology in HSE.