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SummaryAim: Radiosynoviorthesis using intraarticular injection of beta-emitting radiocolloids is increasingly performed throughout Europe in patients with inflammatory joint disease. It is a cost-effective and safe treatment, local complications are very rare with only eight cases mentioned in the literature so far. No recommendations for therapy of tissue necrosis, infection or thromboembolism after radiosynoviorthesis are available. Methods: Using a standardized questionary, 260 nuclear medicine physicians and 20 medical liability insurances were asked for the kind and frequency of complications after radiosynoviorthesis between 1998 and 2003. The survey was terminated after nine months with a response of only 25.7%. Results: A total of 53 severe complications were documented (28 necroses, 12 thromboses, 13 joint infections). Eight other complications were seen but difficult to correlate directly with radiosynoviorthesis. Tissue necroses from yttrium-90 were successfully treated by surgical excision and closure of the defect. Rhenium-186-induced ulcers healed by hyperbaric oxygen therapy in two cases. Lesions from erbium-169 showed restoration by conservative treatment. Thromboembolic events happened after radiosynoviorthesis in joints of the lower limb only, mostly treated by conventional anticoagulation. Intraarticular infections showed restoration after intraarticular antibiotics in the majority of cases. Conclusion: Severe complications after radiosynoviorthesis seem to be rare. However, because of the low return rate, a reliable frequency cannot be calculated. Nevertheless, important advices regarding treatment concepts can be taken from our data.

Summary Aim of this study was to prove the clinical value of nuclear medicine procedures to detect the sentinel lymph node (SLN) for SLN biopsy. Methods: In 132 patients with breast cancer we performed lymph scintigraphy of the breast as well as both pre- and intraoperative gamma probe measurements correlating the results with the findings of histopathology. Results: SLN were detectable in 62 of 110 patients according to a sensitivity of 56% when scanning was performed only at 1-2 h p.i. while the sensitivity increased to 86% (19 of 22 pts.) if sequential images were acquired up to 2 h p.i. One or more SLN were identified by a handheld gamma probe transcutaneously prior to surgery in 96% (113 of 118 pts.) of the patients who showed up with no clinically suspected lymph node metastases. Intraoperatively, in additionally 2 patients the SLN could be found resulting in a sensitivity of 97% (115 of 118 pts.). In only 3 patients with clinically no tumor spread to axillary lymph nodes no SLN could be identified by the probe. Skip lesions, i.e. lymph node metastases in patients with tumorfree SLN, occured in 2 cases: due to SLN biopsy in these patients lymph node staging was false negative compared to conventional staging by means of axillary lymph node dissection. Conclusion: The results demonstrate a high preoperative detection rate of SLN in patients with breast cancer using lymph scintigraphy and gamma probe measurements. Thus, nuclear medicine is capable of providing the basic requirements for SLN biopsy in the daily routine.

Summary Aim of this study was to validate a recently introduced new and easy-to-perform method for quantifying bone uptake of Tc-99m-labelled diphosphonate in a routine clinical setting and to establish a normal data base for bone uptake depending on age and gender. Methods: In 49 women (14-79 years) and 47 men (6-89 years) with normal bone scans as well as in 49 women (33-81 years) and 37 men (27-88 years) with metastatic bone disease whole-body bone scans were acquired at 3 min and 3-4 hours p.i. to calculate bone uptake after correction for both urinary excretion and soft tissue retention. Results: Bone uptake values of various age-related subgroups showed no significant differences between men and women (p >0.05 ). Furthermore, no differences could be proven between age-matched subgroups of normals and patients with less than 10 metastatic bone lesions, while patients with wide-spread bone metastases revealed significantly increased uptake values. In both men and women highest bone uptake was obtained (p

Summary Aim of this study was to assess the radiation exposure for the personnel in the operating room and in the pathology laboratories caused by radioguided SLN localization in breast cancer. Methods: In 15 patients dose rates were measured at various distances from the breast and tumor specimens during operation and pathological work-up at 3-5 h after peritumoral injection of 30 MBq Tc-99m-nanocolloid. Results: The dose rates were 84.1 ± 46.4 μGy/h at 2.5 cm, 3.57 ± 2.14 μGy/h at 30 cm, 0.87 ± 0.51 μGy/h at 100 cm, and 0.40 ± 0.20 μGy/h at 150 cm in the operating room and 44.4 ± 27.8 μGy/h at 2.5 cm, and 1.66 ± 1.34 μGy/h at 30 cm in the pathology laboratories. From these data the radiation exposure was calculated for 250 operations per year assuming a mean exposure time of 30 min for the surgical team members and of 10 min for the pathology staff. Under these conditions the finger dose is 10.5 mGy for the surgeon, and 5.55 mGy for the pathologist. The wholebody doses are 0.45 mSv, 0.11 mSv, 0.05 mSv, and 0.21 mSv for the surgeon, the operating room nurse, the anesthetist, and the pathologist, respectively. Conclusion: Since the radiation risk to staff members is low, a classification of the personnel in the operating room and in the pathology laboratories as occupational radiation exposed workers is not necessary.

BACKGROUND Lymphoscintigraphy has been used since the early 1960s to demonstrate lymphatic drainage of head and neck tumors, but did not prove satisfactory. With the increasing importance of highly sophisticated neck dissection procedures, lymphoscintigraphy may have greater diagnostic impact. This assumes that lymphoscintigraphy will allow an accurate correlation of lymphatic drainage with anatomic structures. In this paper, we report on a method of lymphoscintigraphy with simultaneous body contouring. METHODS Double-tracer lymphoscintigraphy was performed in 78 patients with squamous cell carcinoma. Patients received 100 MBq 99mTc-colloid in 0.1-0.2 ml in 3-4 peritumoral localizations. Ten patients were injected during surgery. Two milliliters of perchlorate solution were given orally in order to block the thyroid. Twenty minutes later patients received 50 MBq 99mTc-pertechnetate i.v. for body contouring. Planar images were obtained over 5 min each at 30 min and 4-6 h after injection from anterior, right lateral and left lateral using a LFOV-gamma camera. RESULTS The thyroid was not visualized in any of the patients. In 28 of 78 patients (36%), the injection site was the only focal activity seen. In 50 of 78 patients (64%), lymph drainage was observed. Thirty-six of 78 patients (46%) showed unilateral lymphatic drainage, and 14 of 78 (18%) showed bilateral drainage. In all 50 patients showing lymphatic drainage, lymph nodes could be easily assigned to the six cervical lymph node compartments described. CONCLUSIONS Double-tracer lymphoscintigraphy enables an accurate correlation of cervical lymph nodes and anatomic structures of the head and neck region. These findings suggest that the impact of these studies on the preoperative planning for neck dissection should be reevaluated.

BACKGROUND Since its introduction in 1965 salivary gland scintigraphy has been an established method to simultaneously investigate excretion function in major salivary glands. In order to elucidate parenchymal function of salivary glands, several authors described various quantitative and semiquantitative methods. However, no standardized protocol for quantitative salivary gland scintigraphy has been established so far. METHODS Therefore, in this paper we report on a standardized and validated acquisition protocol for salivary gland scintigraphy using 99mTc-pertechnetate. RESULTS A normal data base for both parenchymal and excretion function is given in detail. In addition, the diagnostic value of salivary gland scintigraphy is reviewed in various clinical settings, such as mild parenchymal damage in beginning Sjogren's syndrome, proof of functional obstruction in sialolithiasis with and without parenchymal damage, and parenchymal damage following radioiodine treatment. In a second part, applications of salivary gland scintigraphy in current clinical research are described, and radiation protection of salivary glands in rabbits and patients treated with high doses of I-131 are discussed. CONCLUSIONS Salivary gland scintigraphy is a study that is easily performed and well tolerated by the patient. It yields quantitative parameters for parenchymal function and excretion fraction.

Zusammenfassung Ziel: Mit einer standardisierten, quantitativen Sialoszintigraphie (qSZ) sollte geprüft werden, ob auch durch relativ niedrige, im Rahmen gutartiger Schilddrüsenerkrankungen applizierte Aktivitäten von Radiojod subtile Speicheldrüsenschäden meßbar sind. Zusätzlich wurde die Prävalenz von Sialopathien bei Schilddrüsenpatienten ermittelt. Methoden: Im Rahmen der Schilddrüsenszintigraphie wurde eine qSZ nach i.v Injektion von 36-126 MBq 99mTc-Pertechnetat durchgeführt. Referenzbereiche für den 99mTc-Uptake und die Exkretionsfraktion nach Stimulation wurden an 312 Speicheldrüsengesunden ermittelt. 144 Patienten wurden vor und 3 Monate nach einer Radiojodtherapie untersucht. Bei weiteren 674 Schilddrüsenpatienten wurden die Ergebnisse der qSZ zur Erfassung der Prävalenz von Speicheldrüsenschäden ausgewertet. Ergebnisse: Im Referenzkollektiv betrug der Uptake 0,45 ± 0,14% bzw. 0,39 ± 0,12% und die Exkretionsfraktion 49,5 ± 10,6% bzw. 39,1 ± 9,2% in den GH. parotides bzw. submandibulares. Trotz intratherapeutischer Gabe von Sialogoga war eine signifikante und mit der Aktivität korrelierende Einschränkung der Parenchymfunktion von 14-90% nach Applikation von 0,4 bis 24 GBq 1-131 meßbar. Die Prävalenz prätherapeutischer Sialopathien betrug an singulären Speicheldrüsen 77/674 = 11,4%, die der globalen Speicheldrüseninsuffizienzen lag bei 52/674 = 7,7%. Schlußfolgerung: Die im Rahmen der Schilddrüsenszintigraphie durchführbare qSZ ist ein einfach durchzuführendes Verfahren ohne zusätzliche Strahlenbelastung. Sie sollte zur Dokumentation der Speicheldrüsenfunktion vor jeder Radiojodtherapie durchgeführt und zum Ausschluß bzw. zur Quantifizierung einer schon bei niedrigen 131I-Aktivitäten nachweisbaren Parenchymschädigung nach

ZusammenfassungEs wird ein einfaches und kostengünstiges Lösungskonzept zur kompletten digitalen Verwaltung einer nuklearmedizinischen Klinik vorgestellt. Die Ausgangssituation war durch fünf unterschiedliche Gammakamerafabrikate vorgegeben, wovon eines bereits mit einem auf Macintosh-PC-Basis arbeitenden Rechner, ICON, ausgestattet war. Die verbleibenden vier Geräte wurden ebenfalls an ICON-PCs adaptiert und in ein Macintosh-LAN, bestehend aus weiteren 15 PCs, integriert, so daß die gesamte Bildakquisition, -Verarbeitung, Befundung, Dokumentation und Archivierung über eine einheitliche, benutzerfreundliche Oberfläche komplikationslos möglich ist. Die Patientendatenverwaltung erfolgt auf demselben LAN über ein kommerziell erhältliches Datenbanksystem, an das ein selbstentwickeltes Bild- und Dokumenten-Archiv angebunden worden ist. Das System erlaubt ein völlig aktenfreies Patienten-, Daten- und Bildmanagement zu vergleichsweise moderaten Kosten von etwa 11 × 104 DM neben den Aufwendungen für die neuen Kamerarechner.

ZusammenfassungUm ein Verfahren zur Digitalisierung von Analogszintigrammen zu entwickeln, wurden 40 Ganzkörper-Skelettszintigramme simultan in analogem sowie in primär digitalem Format erstellt. Die Analogszintigramme wurden dann mittels dreier verschiedener Techniken sekundär digitalisiert: 300-dpi-Flachbett-Scanning, hochauflösendes Kamera-Scanning und Videokamera-Erfassung. Als optimale Variante erwies sich die Bilderfassung mit handelsüblichem Camcorder, Lichtkasten und PC mit Bilderfassungs-Hard- und Software. Bei der visuellen Interpretation der primär bzw. sekundär digitalisierten Szintigramme fand sich kein Unterschied zwischen beiden Bildformaten. Zusätzlich wurden in beide Bildformatgruppen 126 äquivalente individuelle ROIs gelegt und der relative Radioaktivitätsanteil an der Gesamtkörperaktivität verglichen. Es fand sich eine lineare Korrelation für beide Bildformate. Die sekundäre Digitalisierung von Analogbildern ist eine einfache, zuverlässige, praxisgerechte und kostengünstige Methode zur Bildarchivierung und erlaubt eine sekundäre digitale Quantifizierung.