Search

El objetivo de este estudio fue comparar los métodos antropométricos por segmento corporal con los valores previstos por absorciometría con rayos X de doble energía (DXA) en atletas con lesión medular. En este estudio participaron ocho atletas tetrapléjicos y seis parapléjicos. Se midieron los perímetros corporales en siete lugares, el espesor del pliegue cutáneo en nueve (en el lado derecho del cuerpo) y la composición corporal por DXA. Se utilizó el análisis de regresión lineal para verificar las asociaciones entre composición corporal y mediciones antropométricas. Las medidas segmentarias que explican mejor la masa grasa obtenida por DXA fueron: una suma del espesor del pliegue cutáneo en el brazo (R2 = .66; p < .01); en los pliegues cutáneos del tronco, subescapular (R2 = .75, p < .01), medio axilar (R2 = .67 p < .01) y abdominal (R2 = .67, p < .01) y la suma del espesor del pliegue cutáneo del tronco (R2 = .83, p < .01); y en la pierna, el pliegue cutáneo de la pantorrilla y la suma de los pliegues cutáneos de la pierna (R2 = .83, p < .01; R2 = .68, p < .01). Los perímetros del brazo relajado y contraído mostraron relaciones relevantes (R2 = .52, p < .01, y R2 = .57, p < .01, respectivamente) con la masa grasa obtenida por DXA. Esto sugiere que el análisis segmentario de la composición corporal mediante los perímetros y el espesor del pliegue cutáneo podría ser una buena opción para determinar de forma precisa la composición corporal en atletas con lesión medular. La suma de los pliegues cutáneos por segmento reflejó de forma clara y significativa la masa grasa prevista por DXA.

Radiosynovectomy (RS) with 90Y-hydroxyapatite (90Y-HyA) aims to control knee hemarthrosis in hemophiliac patients to prevent secondary arthropathy. However, knee RS using 153Sm-hydroxyapatite (153Sm-HyA) is considered less suitable due to the lower average soft tissue range and energy of 153Sm for large joints, such as the knees. The objective of this investigation was to assess the efficacy and safety of knee RS with 153Sm-HyA, compared to 90Y-HyA. Forty patients were prospectively assigned to undergo knee RS with 153Sm-HyA (n = 19) or with 90Y-HyA (n = 21). The frequency of hemarthrosis episodes before and after treatment were compared. After six months of knee RS, 153Sm-HyA and 90Y-HyA promoted a similar reduction of hemarthrosis episodes (50% and 66.7%, respectively). However, after 12 months of knee RS, the reduction of hemarthrosis episodes was significantly (p = 0.037) higher using 153Sm-HyA (87.5%) compared to 90Y-HyA (50.0%). This discrepancy was more pronounced (p = 0.002) for 153Sm-HyA compared to 90Y-HyA in adults/adolescents. Knee radiosynovectomy with 153Sm-HyA is safe, reduces hemarthrosis episodes after 12 months of treatments, especially in adults/adolescents and even with grades III/IV arthropathy, similar to 90Y-HyA. 90Y-HyA seems to promote better hemarthrosis control in small children.

Objective: To determine whether the whole-body tumor burden, as quantified by 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron-emission tomography/computed tomography (18F-FDG PET/CT), is a prognostic indicator in advanced (stage III or IV) non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Materials and Methods: This was a prospective study in which we evaluated 18F-FDG PET/CT staging parameters to quantify tumor burdens in patients with stage III or IV NSCLC. The following parameters were evaluated for the whole body (including the primary tumor) and for the primary tumor alone, respectively: maximum standardized uptake volume (wbSUVmax and tuSUVmax); metabolic tumor volume (wbMTV and tuMTV); and total lesion glycolysis (wbTLG and tuTLG). To determine whether the 18F-FDG PET/CT parameters were associated with overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS), we evaluated the wbSUVmax/tuSUVmax, wbMTV/tuMTV, and wbTLG/tuTLG ratios. Results: 18F-FDG PET/CT was performed for staging in 52 patients who were followed for a median of 11.0 months (mean, 11.7 months). The estimated median PFS and OS were 9.6 months and 11.6 months, respectively. In the univariate analysis, OS was found to correlate significantly with wbTLG (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.001; 95% confidence interval [95 CI]: 1.000-1.001; p = 0.0361) and with the wbTLG/tuTLG ratio (HR = 1.705; 95% CI: 1.232-2.362; p = 0.0013). In the multivariate analysis, only the wbTLG/tuTLG ratio was independently associated with OS (HR = 1.660; 95% CI: 1.193-2.310; p = 0.0027). Conclusion: The wbTLG/tuTLG ratio is an independent prognostic indicator of OS in advanced-stage NSCLC. Resumo Objetivo: Avaliar se a carga metabólica tumoral do corpo inteiro medida na tomografia por emissão de pósitrons/tomografia computadorizada com 18F-fluordesoxiglicose (18F-FDG PET/CT) é um indicador prognóstico em pacientes com câncer de pulmão de células não pequenas (CPCNP) em estágio avançado (estágio III ou IV). Materiais e Métodos: Avaliamos, prospectivamente, a carga tumoral na 18F-FDG-PET/CT de estadiamento em pacientes com CPCNP avançado. Os parâmetros avaliados do tumor primário (tu) e do corpo inteiro (wb) (incluindo o primário) foram: SUV máximo (wbSUVmax e tuSUVmax), volume metabólico tumoral (wbMTV e tuMTV), glicólise total da(s) lesão(ões) (wbTLG e tuTLG), além das seguintes razões: wbSUVmax/tuSUVmax, wbMTV/tuMTV e wbTLG/tuTLG. Os parâmetros medidos na 18F-FDG-PET/CT, variáveis clínicas e patológicas foram correlacionados com a sobrevida global (SG) e a sobrevida livre de progressão (SLP). Resultados: 18F-FDG-PET/CT foi realizada em 52 pacientes (tempos mediano/médio de sobrevida = 11,0/11,7 meses). A SLP mediana foi de 9,6 meses e a SG foi de 11,6 meses. Houve correlação significativa da wbTLG (hazard ratio [HR] = 1,001; intervalo de confiança de 95% [IC 95%]: 1,000-1,001; p = 0,0361) e wbTLG/tuTLG (HR = 1,705; IC 95%: 1,232-2.362; p = 0,0013) com a SG. Na análise multivariada, a razão wbTLG/tuTLG associou-se independentemente com a SG (HR = 1,660; IC 95%: 1,193-2,310; p = 0,0027). Conclusão: A razão wbTLG/tuTLG é um indicador prognóstico independente de SG em CPCNP avançado.

The objective of this study was to evaluate whether 68Ga-PSMA PET/CT whole-body tumor burden (PSMAwbtb) is associated with clinical parameters and laboratory parameters in prostate cancer patients. We retrospectively evaluated prostate cancer patients submitted to PSMA PET/CT for primary staging purposes or due to biochemical recurrence (BR). PSMAwbtb metrics (total volume of PSMA-avid tumor (PSMA-TV)) and total uptake of PSMA-avid lesions (PSMA-TL) were calculated semi-automatically. Spearman’s rank correlations between PSMAwbtb metrics and clinical, laboratory parameters (age, time-to-BR, years of diagnosis of prostate cancer, free and total serum PSA levels, and the Gleason score) and with the highest SUVmax of a lesion (hSUVmax) were analyzed. Among the 257 PSMA PET/CT studies, there were 46 scans (17.9%) performed for primary staging and 211 (82.1%) for BR. PSMA-TV and PSMA-TL were calculated for the 157 positive scans (58.8%), which were 43 patients (93.5%) in the primary staging group and 114 patients (54.0%) in the BR group. In the primary staging group, we observed a significant correlation between PSMA-TL and hSUVmax (p = 0.0021). In the BR group, there was a significant direct correlation between PSMA-TL and the variables age (p = 0.0031), total serum PSA values (p =

Many efforts have been made to standardize the interpretation of 18F-FDG PET/CT in multiple myeloma (MM) with qualitative visual analysis or with quantitative metabolic parameters using various methods for lesion segmentation of PET images. The aim of this study was to propose a quantitative method for bone and bone marrow evaluation of 18F-FDG PET/CT considering the extent and intensity of bone 18F-FDG uptake: Intensity of Bone Involvement (IBI). Whole body 18F-FDG PET/CT of 59 consecutive MM patients were evaluated. Compact bone tissue was segmented in PET images using a global threshold for HU of the registered CT image. A whole skeleton mask was created and the percentage of its volume with 18F-FDG uptake above hepatic uptake was calculated (Percentage of Bone Involvement - PBI). IBI was defined by multiplying PBI by mean SUV above hepatic uptake. IBI was compared with visual analysis performed by two experienced nuclear medicine physicians. IBI calculation was feasible in all images (range:0.00–1.35). Visual analysis categorized PET exams into three groups (negative/mild, moderate and marked bone involvement), that had different ranges of IBI (multi comparison analysis, p

Objective: To determine whether 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography performed immediately after percutaneous ablation (iPA18F-FDG PET/CT) is useful in evaluating the outcomes of the procedure. Materials and Methods: This was a retrospective study of 20 patients (13 males, 7 females; mean age, 65.8 ± 12.1 years) submitted to percutaneous ablation of metastases. All of the lesions treated had shown focal uptake on a 18F-FDG PET/CT scan obtained at baseline. The primary tumors were mainly colorectal cancer (in 45%) or lung cancer (in 40%). iPA18F-FDG PET/CT was performed to identify any residual viable tumor cells. The treatment was considered a success (no viable tumor cells present) if no uptake of 18F-FDG was noted on the iPA18F-FDG PET/CT scan. Results: Twenty-six lesions were submitted to percutaneous ablation with either cryoablation (n = 7) or radiofrequency ablation (n = 19). The mean lesion diameter was 2.52 ± 1.49 cm. For the detection of viable tumor cells, iPA18F-FDG PET/CT had a sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of 66.7%, 95%, 88.5%, 80%, and 90.5%, respectively. There was a significant correlation between the iPA18F-FDG PET/CT findings and the results of the follow-up studies (kappa = 0.66; p < 0.01). Conclusion: iPA18F-FDG PET/CT studies appear to constitute a useful means of evaluating the outcomes of percutaneous ablation. By detecting residual viable tumor cells, this strategy might allow early re-intervention, thus reducing morbidity. Studies involving larger numbers of patients are needed in order to confirm our findings. Resumo Objetivo: Demonstrar se a tomografia por emissão de pósitrons acoplada a tomografia computadorizada usando-se fluorodesoxiglicose marcada com flúor-18 realizada imediatamente após ablação percutânea (iAP18F-FDG PET/CT) pode ser útil na avaliação do resultado desse tratamento. Materiais e Métodos: Foram avaliados, retrospectivamente, 20 pacientes (13 homens e 7 mulheres; média de idade: 65,8 ± 12,1 anos) submetidos a ablação percutânea de metástases apresentando captação de 18F-FDG no exame de PET/CT. Os tumores primários foram, principalmente, câncer colorretal (45%) ou câncer de pulmão (40%). A iAP18F-FDG PET/CT foi realizada para avaliar tumor residual viável. O tratamento foi considerado sucesso (sem lesão viável) se nenhuma captação de 18F-FDG fosse observada na iAP18F-FDG PET/CT. Resultados: Vinte e seis lesões foram submetidas a ablação percutânea por meio de crioablação (n = 7) ou radiofrequência (n = 19). O tamanho médio das lesões era de 2,52 ± 1,49 cm. A iAP18F-FDG PET/CT detectou tumor viável com sensibilidade, especificidade, acurácia, valor preditivo positivo e valor preditivo negativo de 66,7%, 95%, 88,5%, 80% e 90,5%, respectivamente. Houve correlação significativa entre os achados da iAP18F-FDG PET/CT e os resultados do seguimento clínico dos pacientes (kappa = 0,66; p < 0,01). Conclusão: A iAP18F-FDG PET/CT é capaz de avaliar o resultado da ablação percutânea e poderá permitir reintervenção precoce de lesões residuais viáveis, reduzindo a morbidade. Um número maior de pacientes é necessário para confirmar esses achados.

OBJECTIVE Machado-Joseph disease (MJD) is a spinocerebellar ataxia, and osteoporosis is a multifactor disease that may affect patients with neurologic conditions. The frequency of osteoporosis among MJD patients, however, has not been studied. The purpose of this study is to evaluate bone mineral density (BMD) and identify correlations between clinical factors and frequency of vertebral fractures in patients with MJD. METHODS Clinical data, lumbar X-rays and BMD data were obtained in 30 patients with MJD. RESULTS Ten patients (33.3%) showed low BMD in at least one of the sites studied based on Z-scores. The Z-score correlated directly with body mass index, and the femoral neck Z-score was inversely correlated with cytosine-adenine-guanine (CAG) expansion. There was no correlation between BMD and other clinical factors. Forty-three percent of the patients reported previous pathologic fractures. Five patients (16.7%) had at least one fracture detected by lumbar X-ray. CONCLUSION Low BMD and fractures are frequent among MJD patients, and careful management of BMD may be beneficial for these patients.

A patient was referred, after neoadjuvant chemotherapy, for pre-surgical evaluation of urothelial bladder carcinoma (single lesion). Two thickenings in the left ureter wall identified on the CT scan were equivocal for malignancy. 18F-FDG PET/CT with delayed pelvic images, hyperhydration, and furosemide showed hypermetabolic ureteral metastases and multifocal bladder tumors. There were no lymph nodes or distant metastases. These 18F-FDG PET/CT findings completely altered the surgical treatment. The patient underwent left nephroureterectomy, radical cystoprostatectomy, and lymphadenectomy, followed by a urinary transit reconstruction. Histopathology confirmed multifocal high-grade urothelial carcinoma in the bladder walls and left ureter and benign lymph nodes.

Radiosynovectomy (RS) withThe objective of this investigation was to assess the efficacy and safety of knee RS withForty patients were prospectively assigned to undergo knee RS withAfter six months of knee RS,Knee radiosynovectomy with

We report the case of a fracture healing after Ra in an 83-year-old wheelchair-bound man with prostate castration-resistant adenocarcinoma treated due to uncontrollable pain from widespread bone metastases. The patient fractured both right tibia and fibula 15 days prior to the first Ra cycle. After the first cycle, there was complete remission of his metastatic bone pain; after the second cycle, he began walking with support, which helped improve fracture healing; and after the third cycle, he presented complete mobility. Posttreatment images showed consolidated fractures. By improving metastatic bone pain with Ra, consolidation of the insufficiency fracture was possible.

Introduction: Subtraction of ictal-interictal SPECT co-registered to MRI (SISCOM) is a quantification tool that can improve the sensitivity and specificity of the epileptogenic zone (EZ) localization. Commercially available image analysis software packages for SISCOM are costly, and Statistical Parametric Mapping (SPM) could be an alternative free software for the definition of the EZ. There are only a few studies that compare SISCOM using SPM (SISCOM-SPM) with visual analysis. Aim: To compare SISCOM-SPM vs. visual analysis for localization of the EZ in patients with pharmacoresistant focal epilepsies. Materials and methods: We evaluated all our patients with focal epilepsies that underwent ictal and interictal SPECT. We defined the reference standard to locate the EZ by pathology and follow-up (in patients submitted to surgery), or seizure semiology, serial EEG, long-term video-EEG, 18F-FDG PET/CT, and MRI (in patients who were not operated). We compared the location of the EZ by visual analysis of SPECT images and by SISCOM-SPM to the reference standard and classified as concordant, discordant, or partially concordant. Results: We included 23 patients. Visual analysis was concordant with the EZ reference standard in only 13 patients (56.5%), while SISCOM-SPM was concordant in 18 cases (78.3%), providing a 21.8% increase in the location of EZ. However, this difference was not significant due to the small sample size (p = 0.0856). Conclusion: Our preliminary results demonstrate that, in clinical practice, SISCOM-SPM has the potential to add information that might help localize the EZ compared to visual analysis. SISCOM-SPM has a lower cost than other commercially available SISCOM software packages, which is an advantage for developing countries. Studies with more patients are necessary to confirm our findings.

Our purpose was to validate a semiautomatic quantification of the skeletal tumor burden on 18F-fluoride PET/CT using manual quantification as a reference. Methods: We quantified 51 18F-fluoride PET/CT examinations performed on female breast cancer patients. Clinical information (age; time of disease presentation; presence of visceral metastases; and time to death, progression, or a bone event) was recorded. The total volume of 18F-fluoride-avid skeletal metastases and the total activity of 18F-fluoride-avid metastases were calculated manually and semiautomatically. Results: Manual and semiautomatic metrics correlated strongly (P < 0.0001; 95% confidence interval, 0.9300-0.9769). On multivariable analysis, the semiautomatic measures of total activity for 18F-fluoride-avid metastasis correlated significantly with overall survival (P = 0.0001) and progression-free survival (P = 0.0006). Approximate times for calculating skeletal tumor burden (semiautomatic vs. manual) were, respectively, 30 s versus 321 s in patients with fewer than 5 metastases, 120 s versus 640 s in patients with 5-10 metastases, and 240 s versus 1207s in patients with more than 10 metastases. Conclusion: Semiautomatic quantification of whole-body 18F-fluoride PET/CT skeletal tumor burden can replace manual quantification in breast cancer patients and is a strong independent biomarker of prognosis.

Background Radioiodine-refractory thyroid carcinomas (RAIRs) are characterized by reduced expression of sodium–iodine symporter, rising serum thyroglobulin levels, and negative whole-body radioiodine scans. Interestingly, RAIRs continue to express somatostatin receptors and can be identified with 68Ga-DOTATATE PET/CT imaging. Objective The objective of this study was to compare lesion detectability in 68Ga-DOTATATE PET/CT performed with elevated thyroid-stimulating hormone (eTSH) levels with suppressed thyroid-stimulating hormone (sTSH) levels. Patients and methods Fifteen patients with RAIR were prospectively enrolled in this pilot study. All patients underwent two 68Ga-DOTATATE PET/CT studies: with sTSH and with eTSH (after 30 days of levothyroxine withdrawal). All studies were blindly evaluated for differences pertaining to maximum standardized uptake values, detection of local recurrence, cervical lymph node (LN) metastases, cervical levels involved, distant LN metastases, lung metastases, and bone metastases. Reference standard consisted of fluorine-18-fluorodeoxyglucose PET/CT imaging, neck ultrasound, biopsy, and follow-up. Results 68Ga-DOTATATE PET/CT performed with both sTSH or eTSH was highly sensitive (91–100%) for detecting RAIR metastases. 68Ga-DOTATATE PET/CT with eTSH detected a higher total number of lesions (P=0.002), higher rate of cervical and distant LN metastases (P=0.002 and 0.0313, respectively), and significantly higher maximum standardized uptake values for cervical and distant LN metastases (P=0.0010 and 0.0078, respectively) when compared with sTSH. Conclusion 68Ga-DOTATATE PET/CT presents a high sensitivity in detecting metastatic lesions in patients with RAIR. Detectability increases with iodine-resistance, both with and without higher thyroid-stimulating hormone levels. These findings might improve staging and subsequent treatment planning, especially with radiolabeled somatostatin analogs.

Objectives: In sickle cell/β-thalassemia, mutations in the corresponding β-globin genes are responsible for complex pathological events resulting in diverse clinical complications. The objective of this study was to provide an overview of the clinical and laboratory characteristics of patients with the syndrome, and of the degree of severity of clinical manifestations resulting from the β-thalassemia mutation.Methods: A retrospective chart review was performed on 46 patients with sickle cell/β-thalassemia (31 Sβ° and 15 Sβ+), evaluating hematological parameters and end organ damage. Statistical analyzes were carried out in order to highlight differences between the two groups according to the nature of the thalassemia mutation.Results: As expected, patients with the Sβ0 phenotype had a higher degree of hematological involvement in comparison to Sβ+ patients; with lower hemoglobin levels, and signs of more intense chronic hemolysis. However, Sβ+ patients were more prone to the occurrence of acute chest syn...

A 64-year-old man with history of prostate adenocarcinoma underwent radical prostatectomy in 2003. He remained with undetectable prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels until 2014, when he then presented rising serum PSA levels and performed a Tc-MDP bone scan that was negative for metastases. In August 2015, his PSA was 4.89 ng/dL, and restaging images with pelvic MR and F-FDG PET/CT were both negative. Therefore, the patient underwent a Ga-PSMA PET/CT that showed marked tracer uptake in a single mediastinal lymph node. Histopathology demonstrated metastatic adenocarcinoma secondary to prostate cancer, altering patient management to hormone therapy instead of pelvic radiotherapy.

Objective: To evaluate SPECT/CT with radiolabeled somatostatin analogues (RSAs) in systemic granulomatous infections in comparison with gallium-67 (67Ga) citrate scintigraphy. Materials and Methods: We studied 28 patients with active systemic granulomatous infections, including tuberculosis, paracoccidioidomycosis, pneumocystosis, cryptococcosis, aspergillosis, leishmaniasis, infectious vasculitis, and an unspecified opportunistic infection. Of the 28 patients, 23 had started specific treatment before the study outset. All patients underwent whole-body SPECT/CT imaging: 7 after injection of 99mTc-EDDA-HYNIC-TOC, and 21 after injection of 111In-DTPA-octreotide. All patients also underwent 67Ga citrate imaging, except for one patient who died before the 67Ga was available. Results: In 20 of the 27 patients who underwent imaging with both tracers, 27 sites of active disease were detected by 67Ga citrate imaging and by SPECT/CT with an RSA. Both tracers had negative results in the other 7 patients. RSA uptake was visually lower than 67Ga uptake in 11 of the 20 patients with positive images and similar to 67Ga uptake in the other 9 patients. The only patient who did not undergo 67Ga scintigraphy underwent 99mTc-EDDA-HYNIC-TOC SPECT/CT-guided biopsy of a lung cavity with focal RSA uptake, which turned to be positive for aspergillosis. Conclusion: SPECT/CT with 99mTc-EDDA-HYNIC-TOC or 111In-DTPA-octreotide seems to be a good alternative to 67Ga citrate imaging for the evaluation of patients with systemic granulomatous disease. Resumo Objetivo: Avaliar o estudo SPECT/CT com análogos de somatostatina radiomarcados (RSA) em infecções granulomatosas sistêmicas, em comparação com o estudo com gálio-67 (67Ga). Materiais e Métodos: Vinte e oito paciente com infecção granulomatosa sistêmica ativa foram estudados, incluindo tuberculose, paracoccidioidomicose, pneumocistose, criptococose, aspergilose, leishmaniose, vasculite infecciosa e uma infecção oportunista inespecífica. Vinte e três tinham iniciado o tratamento previamente ao estudo. Todos fizeram imagem de varredura e SPECT/CT, 7 deles pós-injeção de 99mTc-EDDA-HYNIC-TOC e os outros 21 pós-injeção de 111In-DTPA-octreotide. Todos os pacientes também fizeram cintilografia com 67Ga, exceto um, que fez biópsia guiada por 99mTc-EDDA-HYNIC-TOC. Resultados: Vinte e sete sítios de atividade foram detectados com 67Ga em 20 de 27 pacientes, também vistos nos estudos com RSA. Ambos foram negativos nos outros 7 pacientes. A captação de RSA foi visualmente menor que a de 67Ga em 11 de 20 pacientes positivos e similar nos outros 9. Um paciente que não pôde fazer cintilografia com 67Ga, fez biópsia guiada por 99mTc-EDDAHYNIC-TOC SPECT/CT em uma cavidade pulmonar com captação desse traçador, que foi positiva para aspergilose. Conclusão: SPECT/CT com 99mTc-EDDA-HYNIC-TOC ou 111In-DTPA-octreotide parece ser uma boa alternativa para o estudo com 67Ga na avaliação de pacientes com doença granulomatosa sistêmica.

// Ana E. Brito 1 , Allan Santos 1, 2 , Andre Deeke Sasse 3 , Cesar Cabello 4 , Paulo Oliveira 5 , Camila Mosci 1 , Tiago Souza 1 , Barbara Amorim 1 , Mariana Lima 1, 2 , Celso D. Ramos 1, 2 , Elba Etchebehere 1, 2 1 Nuclear Medicine Division, Campinas State University (UNICAMP), SP, Brazil 2 MND Campinas, Campinas, SP, Brazil 3 Department of Internal Medicine, Campinas State University (UNICAMP), SP, Brazil 4 Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Campinas State University (UNICAMP), SP, Brazil 5 Department of Statistics, Campinas State University (UNICAMP), SP, Brazil Correspondence to: Elba Etchebehere, email: elba.etchebehere@gmail.com Keywords: fluoride-PET/CT, NaF PET/CT, breast cancer, skeletal tumor burden, bone metastases Received: February 01, 2017 Accepted: March 14, 2017 Published: March 21, 2017 ABSTRACT Purpose: In bone-metastatic breast cancer patients, there are no current imaging biomarkers to identify which patients have worst prognosis. The purpose of our study was to investigate if skeletal tumor burden determined by 18 F-Fluoride PET/CT correlates with clinical outcomes and may help define prognosis throughout the course of the disease. Results: Bone metastases were present in 49 patients. On multivariable analysis, skeletal tumor burden was significantly and independently associated with overall survival ( p < 0.0001) and progression free-survival ( p < 0.0001). The simple presence of bone metastases was associated with time to bone event ( p = 0.0448). Materials and Methods: We quantified the skeletal tumor burden on 18 F-Fluoride PET/CT images of 107 female breast cancer patients (40 for primary staging and the remainder for restaging after therapy). Clinical parameters, primary tumor characteristics and skeletal tumor burden were correlated to overall survival, progression free-survival and time to bone event. The median follow-up time was 19.5 months. Conclusions: 18 F-Fluoride PET/CT skeletal tumor burden is a strong independent prognostic imaging biomarker in breast cancer patients.

Summary Background & aim Congenital adrenal hyperplasia due to 21-hydroxylase deficiency is associated with a high risk for obesity. Anthropometric measures are simple and inexpensive methods to assess body fat. However, the accuracy of alternative methods in these patients is unknown. This study aim to develop and evaluate the accuracy of predictive anthropometric equations in the estimation of percent body fat in individuals with congenital adrenal hyperplasia due to 21-hydroxylase deficiency. Methods A total of 31 female and 22 male patients, aged 7–20 years, were evaluated. Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry was used as the reference method for body fat, and anthropometric measurements were performed. Results Three new predictive equations showed similar results: Equation (1) ( R 2 = 0.85; SEE = 2.89%), Equation (2) ( R 2 = 0.86; SEE = 2.82%), and Equation (3) ( R 2 = 0.86; SEE = 2.81%). Internal cross-validation procedures showed a high R 2 (range, 0.84–0.85) and low SEE ( Conclusion In children and adolescents with congenital adrenal hyperplasia due to 21-hydroxylase deficiency, three new predictive equations were validated for the estimation of percent body fat, with dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry as the reference method.

Purpose Bone scintigraphy (BS) has been used extensively for many years for the diagnosis of bone metastases despite its low specificity and significant rate of equivocal lesions. 18F-Fluoride PET/CT has been proven to have a high sensitivity and specificity in the detection of malignant bone lesions, but its effectiveness in patients with inconclusive lesions on BS is not well documented. This study evaluated the ability of 18F-fluoride PET/CT to exclude bone metastases in patients with various malignant primary tumours and nonspecific findings on BS.

To investigate the factors influencing the success rate in a fixed, 15 mCi approach for treatment of Graves' hyperthyroidism.The thyroid function outcome (hyperthyroidism or euthyroidism/hypothyroidism) was verified at least 1 year after radioiodine therapy (RIT) retrospectively and compared with presenting clinical characteristics and pre-RIT parameters in 87 patients treated with I-iodide for Graves' disease in a tertiary care center.After RIT, 16 patients (18.4%) became euthyroid, 54 patients (62.1%) became hypothyroid, and 17 (19.5%) remained hyperthyroid. We found no statistically significant association between thyroid function outcome and gender (P = 0.50), ophthalmopathy (P = 0.69), drug used (methimazole or propylthiouracil; P = 1.00), maintenance or withdrawal of thionamides pre-RIT (P = 0.98), or 99mTc sodium pertechnetate thyroid uptake prior to RIT (P = 0.75). The only variable associated with the success rate was thyroid mass62 g (P0.001).Our study has shown that a fixed 15 mCi approach for treatment of Graves' disease was effective, but high failure rates were observed in patients presenting larger goiters, particularly those with estimated thyroid mass62 g.

A 43-year-old man, previously submitted to right hepatectomy, right hepatic artery chemoembolization, and surgical resection of liver lesions, with well-differentiated and moderately differentiated hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) confirmed by histopathology, underwent cholescintigraphy with Tc diisopropyliminodiacetic acid (Tc-DISIDA) due to recurrent cholangitis. The scintigraphic images and the coregistered CT images showed radiotracer uptake in an area of biliary ectasia near the hepatic surface (which may be associated with recurrent cholangitis), in a hepatic nodule, and in multiple pulmonary metastases.

Introduction: Multiple myeloma (MM) is a plasma cell neoplasm, characterized by plasma cell infiltration inside the bone marrow, secretion of monoclonal immunoglobulin (paraprotein), and end organ damage including lytic lesions in the bones. About 80-90% of myeloma patients suffer from osteolytic lesions during the course of the disease. 18F-FDG PET/CT is an imaging technique capable to detect active disease in patients in multiple myeloma (MM) and can be helpful in staging and prognosis. However, its routine use is still hampered by several factors, including high cost, reimbursement issues, lack of cost-effectiveness studies and limited availability. 99mTc-sestamibi (MIBI) has also been proposed as a potential tracer in MM evaluation and is more accessible with lower costs. The aim of this study was to compare these two imaging modalities at staging disease and their relation with clinical data. Materials and Methods: Sixty-four patients with newly diagnostic MM (30 male; 34 female) were submitted to 18F-FDG PET/CT and 99mTc-Sestamibi SPECT/CT before treatment. Whole body PET/CT images were acquired 60 minutes after FDG administration and anterior and posterior whole-body scans (WBS) plus SPECT/CT of chest and abdomen were obtained 10 minutes after MIBI injection. Number of focal lesions, bone marrow involvement, contiguous soft tissue impairment and extra osseous lesions were recorded. Number of focal lesions was classified in 3 groups: 0 (no lesions); 1 (1-3 lesions); 2 (4-10); 3 (more than 10). A visual degree of uptake was defined for bone marrow involvement: comparison to liver on PET/CT and to myocardium on MIBI. Standardized uptake value (SUVmax) of the hottest lesion of each patient was registered. Potentials factors contributing to progression-free survival (PFS) were assessed with Cox regression model combining baseline clinical data (including renal function, anemia, hypercalcemia, LDH, bone marrow plasma cell percentage and ISS (I, II or III)) along with PET/CT and MIBI scan status. Results: PET/CT was positive in 61 patients (95%) and MIBI in 59 subjects (92%; P = 0.15). WBS was positive in 56 patients while WBS plus SPECT/CT was positive in 59 (p= 0.08). PET/CT detected extra osseous lesions in 4 patients and sestamibi in 1 subject. Contiguous soft tissue involvement was found in 29 and 24 patients on PET/CT and MIBI, respectively (p=0.05). PET/CT detected much more focal lesions than MIBI: 13, 11, 16 and 24 patients were in group 0, 1, 2 and 3 on PET/CT and 30, 18, 6 and 10 were on the same groups respectively on MIBI (p: 0.0001). In the figure below, a comparison between 99mTc-Sestamibi WBS (A) and 18F-FDG PET/CT (B) at staging in a 67 years-old male. SUVmax were statistically different in subjects who presented elevated LDH (p= 0.02). Seventy-five percent and 100% of patients with elevated LDH had contiguous soft tissue involvement on MIBI and PET/CT respectively. More focal lesions on PET/CT were found in patients with hypercalcemia (p=0.02), however this correlation was not observed on MIBI (p=0.45). Renal insufficiency was a negative prognostic factor for PFS (HR: 2.25). The same was observed with advanced ISS staging (HR: 4.29). However, only advanced ISS staging (III) and extramedullary disease detected by MIBI were independent predictors of worse PFS. Conclusion: There was no difference in the detection of active disease when comparing FDG PET/CT and MIBI SPECT/CT in MM staging, although the first one detected more number of lesions. Including SPECT/CT to planar images on MIBI did also not improve the number of positive scans. Elevated LDH and hypercalcemia were the only clinical parameters related to higher number of bone lesions while ISS staging (III) and extramedullary disease detected by MIBI were independent predictors of worse PFS. Our study demonstrated that sestamibi WBI detects less volume of disease compared to PET/CT, however it may substitute PET/CT in centers where it is not available or there is no reimbursement for MM staging. Figure. Figure. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

To compare thyroid imaging using Tc-99m sestamibi with the standard Tc-99m pertechnetate scintigraphy in patients on chronic use of amiodarone.A total of 23 patients on oral amiodarone for at least 4 months had thyroid scintigraphy and uptake measurement using Tc-99m pertechnetate and Tc-99m sestamibi. Thyroid function was evaluated by measuring serum concentrations of thyrotropin, free thyroxine, and free triiodothyronine, and antithyroglobulin and antithyroperoxidase antibodies.Ten of the 23 patients were euthyroid, 9 hypothyroid, and 4 hyperthyroid, with normal, increased, and decreased serum thyrotropin, respectively. All euthyroid patients had markedly decreased thyroid Tc-99m pertechnetate uptake and normal or slightly increased Tc-99m sestamibi uptake, except for one patient who had increased uptake of both radiotracers. One of the 4 hyperthyroid patients had Graves' disease and markedly increased thyroid uptake of both tracers. The other 3 hyperthyroid patients had normal or decreased Tc-99m pertechnetate uptake and increased Tc-99m sestamibi uptake. Differently than expected, all 9 hypothyroid patients had normal or increased uptake of both radiopharmaceuticals.This study suggests that Tc-99m sestamibi may be an alternative tracer for thyroid scintigraphy and uptake measurement of patients on chronic use of amiodarone. Tc-99m sestamibi seems to be better than Tc-99m pertechnetate for the scintigraphic evaluation of the thyroid of euthyroid and hyperthyroid patients.

Creatinine clearance has been reported to be inaccurate for the estimation of glomerular filtration rate (GFR) in patients with sickle cell anaemia (SCA). Inulin clearance, the reference method for GFR estimation, is impractical for routine use in these patients, and 51Cr-EDTA measurements of the GFR have been rarely reported in this disease.In order to obtain reference 51Cr-EDTA values in this disease, we studied 70 patients (40 females; 13-59 years of age, mean: 31.6 years) with homozygous SCA, normal serum creatinine and urinary albumin excretionor =200 microg x min(-1). All patients were submitted to single-injection 51Cr-EDTA GFR, urinary albumin and haematocrit measurements. 51Cr-EDTA clearances were calculated in different age groups (20, 20-29, 30-39, 40-49 and50 years).The mean GFR (+/-standard deviation) obtained for the 70 patients was 111.5+/-23.1 ml x min(-1). Analysis of variance for evaluation of the possible interaction effect between 51Cr-EDTA clearance and sex, age, urinary albumin and haematocrit demonstrated patient age as the only factor influencing 51Cr-EDTA clearance (P0.001). The Spearman correlation coefficient showed a significant relationship between 51Cr-EDTA clearance and patient age (r = -0.44, P = 0.0001), but not between 51Cr-EDTA and urinary albumin (r = -0.17, P = 0.1546) or haematocrit (r = 0.079, P = 0.5121). The group aged 20-29 years presented the highest 51Cr-EDTA clearance mean value (126.7+/-20.4 ml x min(-1)), with a progressive reduction in the older groups.Young adults with homozygous SCA, normal serum creatinine and micro-albuminuria or normo-albuminuria present supranormal 51Cr-EDTA GFR values. These values rapidly decrease after 30 years of age. We did not find association between urinary albumin and GFR in these patients.

The assessment of the functional status of the salivary glands has been used in the scintigraphic evaluation of xerostomia. Several quantitative methods derived from standard dynamic scintigraphy have been suggested. However, the indices proposed are quite variable and unlikely to be useful in clinical practice. The objectives of this study were to obtain reference values of major salivary glands uptake and excretion fraction in healthy subjects and to obtain normal ratios of Tc-pertechnetate uptake by the major salivary glands in comparison to the thyroid gland uptake. The standardization of these values has the purpose of making this evaluation faster and more objective. Fifty volunteers without clinical evidence of xerostomia or thyroid disease underwent static salivary glands scintigraphy with Tc-pertechnetate. Static images were obtained at 20 minutes and then at 3 minutes after oral stimulation with lemon juice. Percent uptake, excretion fraction and salivary gland to thyroid ratio rates were calculated for the parotid and the submandibular glands. The mean of the uptake values at 20 minutes for the right and left parotid glands were respectively 0.31% and 0.26%, and for the submandibular glands 0.15%. The excretion fraction of the tracer after the lemon juice stimulation was 70% for the parotids glands, 50% for the right and 49% for the left submandibular glands. The mean+/-SD salivary gland to thyroid count ratio was 0.79+/-0.45 for the right parotid, 0.78+/-0.5 for the left parotid, 0.67+/-0.33 and 0.66+/-0.34 for the right and left submandibular glands, respectively. Salivary glands scintigraphy with uptake and excretion fraction calculation is an easy to perform, non-invasive and objective method to investigate salivary glands function. These findings help the nuclear physician to interpret salivary gland scintigraphy more objectively, even in patients with thyroid gland dysfunction in whom Tc-pertechnetate thyroid uptake may be abnormal.

Background and objective Several factors may interfere with the success rate of radioiodine therapy (RIT) in Graves' disease. Our aim was to evaluate, retrospectively, some of these factors in the outcome of RIT. Methods Patient gender, age at diagnosis, ophthalmopathy, disease duration, thyroid size, drug used as clinical treatment, thionamide withdrawal period during RIT preparation, FT 4 , TSH and [ 9 9 m Tc]pertechnetate thyroid uptake prior to RIT were studied as potential interference factors for RIT success. Eighty-two Graves' disease patients were submitted to RIT after thionamide treatment failure. Prior to RIT, 67 patients were receiving methimazole and 15 propylthiouracil. Thirty-three patients received thionamides during RIT; in 49 patients the medication was withdrawn for 2-30 days. [ 9 9 m Tc]pertechnetate thyroid uptake was determined before RIT. Fixed doses of 370 MBq of [ 1 3 1 I]iodide were administered to all patients. Results Eleven patients became euthyroid; 40 became hypothyroid and 31 remained hyperthyroid. There was no association between outcome and age at diagnosis, gender, ophthalmopathy, pre-RIT FT 4 , TSH, antithyroid antibodies or thyrostatic drug. Multiple logistic regression showed higher probability of treatment success in patients with thyroid mass

PURPOSE: Renal scintigraphy has been used for many years in the evaluation of renal transplants and can help in the diagnosis of graft complications, leading to prompt clinical management and preventing further deterioration of renal function. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the overall accuracy of renal scintigraphy with 99mTc-DTPA in the diagnosis of acute renal graft complications. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Seventy-six scintigraphic studies performed in 55 patients (ages ranging from 6 to 65 years), were reviewed. Scintigraphy results were compared to biopsies performed within 5 days of imaging. 99mTc-DTPA study was performed within a mean time of 19 days after kidney transplants. Dynamic images were performed in the anterior position of the abdomen and pelvis every 2 seconds for 80 seconds (flow phase) and every 15 seconds for 30 minutes (functional phase), after an intravenous injection of 370 MBq (10 mCi) of 99mTc-DTPA. RESULTS: The scintigraphic results were concordant with the biopsies in 86% of the cases studied. The sensitivities of renal scintigraphy for detection of acute tubular necrosis (ATN), acute rejection (AR) and cortical necrosis (CN) were 98%, 87% and 100%, respectively. Specificities and accuracies for detection of ATN, AR and CN were 89%, 86% and 100%, and 95%, 87% and 100%, respectively. CONCLUSION: Renal scintigraphy with 99mTc-DTPA showed a good overall accuracy in the detection of acute renal graft complications. It can be used as a reliable tool in the routine evaluation of these patients

A síndrome de Turner (ST) caracteriza-se pela perda parcial ou total de um dos cromossomos X, hipogonadismo hipergonadotrófico e baixa estatura. A maioria dos estudos de densidade mineral óssea (DMO) em ST atribuem a osteoporose à ausência do desenvolvimento puberal e ao hipoestrogenismo, enquanto o envolvimento das alterações ósseas intrínsecas à ST permanece obscuro. O objetivo deste estudo foi verificar a associação entre a DMO com as variáveis como idade cronológica e óssea, peso, altura, cariótipo, doenças associadas e reposição estrogênica em pacientes com ST. Realizou-se um estudo transversal da DMO areal de L2-L4 por DEXA em 34 pacientes com diagnóstico citogenético de ST. Encontrou-se diferença estatística em relação à idade (as pacientes com z DMO < -2,5 eram as de idade mais avançada), à altura (as pacientes com z DMO < -2,5 eram as mais altas) e a reposição estrogênica (o z DMO foi menor nas pacientes que necessitaram de reposição hormonal). Sugere-se, portanto, que a idade e a reposição estrogênica podem ser fatores associados à baixa DMO na ST.

Objective : Current guidelines have advised against the performance of 131I-iodide diagnostic whole body scintigraphy (dxWBS) to minimize the occurrence of stunning, and to guarantee the efficiency of radioiodine therapy (RIT). The aim of the study was to evaluate the impact of stunning on the efficacy of RIT and disease outcome.Subjects and methods : This retrospective analysis included 208 patients with differentiated thyroid cancer managed according to a same protocol and followed up for 12-159 months (mean 30 ± 69 months). Patients received RIT in doses ranging from 3,700 to 11,100 MBq (100 mCi to 300 mCi). Post-RIT-whole body scintigraphy images were performed 10 days after RIT in all patients. In addition, images were also performed 24-48 hours after therapy in 22 patients. Outcome was classified as no evidence of disease (NED), stable disease (SD) and progressive disease (PD).Results : Thyroid stunning occurred in 40 patients (19.2%), including 26 patients with NED and 14 patients with SD. A multivariate analysis showed no association between disease outcome and the occurrence of stunning (p = 0.3476).Conclusion : The efficacy of RIT and disease outcome do not seem to be related to thyroid stunning. Arq Bras Endocrinol Metab. 2014;58(3):292-300 Objetivo : As diretrizes atuais alertam contra a execução da cintigrafia de corpo inteiro com iodo-131 (dxWBS) para minimizar a ocorrência de atordoamento e garantir a eficiência do tratamento com radioiodo (RIT). O objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar o impacto do atordoamento sobre a eficácia do RIT e desfechos da doença.Sujeitos e métodos : Esta análise retrospectiva incluiu 208 pacientes com câncer diferenciado de tireoide submetidos ao mesmo protocolo e acompanhados por 12-159 semanas (média de 30 ± 69 meses). Os pacientes receberam RIT com doses variando de 3.700 a 11.100 MBq (100 mCi a 300 mCi). As imagens da cintigrafia após a RIT foram feitas 10 dias depois da RIT em todos os pacientes. Além disso, as imagens foram também obtidas após 24-48h em 22 pacientes. O desfecho foi classificado como nenhuma evidência de doença (NED), doença estável (SD) e doença progressiva (PD).Resultados : O atordoamento da tireoide ocorreu em 40 pacientes (19,2%), incluindo 26 pacientes com NED e 14 pacientes com SD. A análise multivariada não mostrou associação entre o desfecho da doença e a ocorrência de atordoamento (p = 0,3476).Conclusão : A eficácia da RIT e o desfecho da doença não parecem estar relacionados com o atordoamento da tireoide. Arq Bras Endocrinol Metab. 2014;58(3):292-300

Cervical uptake detected by 131I whole body scintigraphy (131I-WBS) may be due to thyroid remnants or loco-regional metastases. We describe a patient with follicular carcinoma submitted to total thyroidectomy. 131I-WBS showed left cervical linear uptake and focal areas of uptake in the abdomen and pelvis. SPECT/CT images demonstrated a potential thrombus in the left jugular vein (confirmed by doppler neck ultrasound and MRI) as well as bone metastases. The patient was submitted to thrombectomy and histopathology confirmed metastasis of follicular carcinoma.

Children with an uncomplicated femoral fracture, treated with superimposition of fragments and intentional shortening, usually develop overgrowth of the fractured femur and the ipsilateral tibia which may compensate for the initial shortening and enable the limb in question to reach a length similar to that on the normal side. The overgrowth is evaluated clinically and by scanography. The increased metabolic activity of the growth plates that support this overgrowth has not been documented by any laboratory method. In order to evaluate the metabolic activity of the growth plates, 18 patients (11 males, seven females; mean age 6.1 years) with fractures of the femur were studied at three different time intervals (2-5 months, 6-12 months and 18-24 months). Three-phase bone scintigraphy was performed in all patients. Ten children (five males, five females; mean age 7.5 years) who had had bone imaging for other reasons were used as the control group. Visual analysis of the flow and equilibrium phases was performed for the distal femoral and proximal tibial growth plates. Visual and semi-quantitative analyses of the delayed images were performed for the distal femoral and proximal and distal tibial growth plates. Semi-quantitative analyses yielded the following activity ratios: (a) the distal femoral growth plate of the fractured femur to the contralateral one (FR); (b) the proximal growth plate of the tibia on the side of the fractured femur to the contralateral one (TpR); (c) the distal growth plate of the tibia on the side of the fractured femur to the contralateral one (TdR); and (d) in the control group, the distal growth plates of both femora (FCG) and the proximal (TCGp) and distal (TCGd) growth plates of the tibiae. Visual analysis of the blood flow, equilibrium and delayed images showed increased activity in the distal femoral growth plates during the first and second time intervals, but not during the third. No significant activity changes were found in the proximal and distal tibial growth plates during any of the phases analysed. The mean and standard deviation for FR in the three time intervals were: FRI=1.22+/-0.27, FRII=1.17+/-0.16 and FRIII=1.09+/-0.20. FR values were significantly higher than in the control group (FCG=0.99+/-0.03) (P=0.033). The mean and standard deviation for TpR in the three time intervals were: TpRI=1.08+/-0.18, TpRII=0.94+/-0.09 and TpRIII=0.96+/-0.20. TpR values were not significantly different from those in the control group (TCGp=1.00+/-0.05). However, TpRI was significantly higher than TpRII (P=0.043). The mean and standard deviation for TdR in the three time intervals were: TdRI=1.10+/-0.41, TdRII=1.05+/-0.15 and TdRIII=1.13+/-0.36. TdR values were not significantly higher than in the control group (TCGd=1.00+/-0.04) (P=0.777). These results support the concept that three-phase bone imaging is able to quantify and determine that activation occurs in the distal femoral and proximal tibial growth plates of fractured femora. This phenomenon may explain the overgrowth observed in this injured bone structure.

A 26 year-old female was admitted with abdominal pain, fever and weight loss. The clinical and laboratory investigations led to the diagnosis of paracoccidioidomycosis. Gallium-67 whole body images correlated well with the clinical course of the disease and with the patient's prognosis.

Fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva is a rare genetic disease characterized by widespread soft tissue ossification and congenital stigmata of the extremities. We report on a male child followed for ten years since the age of 3 years and 9 months, when the diagnosis was made. He was born with bilateral hypoplasic hallux valgus and ventricular septal defect, corrected by transsternal approach when 32 months old. Restriction of neck mobility followed and foci of ectopic ossification appeared. Four crises of disease exacerbation were treated with oral prednisone and/or other antiinflammatory drugs. Sodium etidronate 5 to 10 mg/kg/day was prescribed intermittently during about six years but was discontinued due to osteopenia. The disease course has been relentless, with severe movement restriction including the chest wall. A review showed few similar case reports in the Brazilian literature. We revisit the criteria for diagnosis and the essentials of management and treatment.

Purpose of the report Although MRI is utilized for planning the resection of soft-tissue tumors, it is not always capable of differentiating benign from malignant lesions. The risk of local recurrence of soft-tissue sarcomas is increased when biopsies are performed before resection and by inadequate resections. PET associated with computed tomography using fluorodeoxyglucose labeled with fluorine-18 ((18)F-FDG PET/CT) may help differentiate between benign and malignant tumors, thus avoiding inadequate resections and making prior biopsies unnecessary. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the usefulness of (18)F-FDG PET/CT in differentiating benign from malignant solid soft-tissue lesions. Materials and methods Patients with solid lesions of the limbs or abdominal wall detected by MRI were submitted to (18)F-FDG PET/CT. The maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax) cutoff was determined to differentiate malignant from benign tumors. Regardless of the (18)F-FDG PET/CT results all patients underwent biopsy and surgery. Results MRI was performed in 54 patients, and 10 patients were excluded because of purely lipomatose or cystic lesions. (18)F-FDG PET/CT was performed in the remaining 44 patients. Histopathology revealed 26 (59%) benign and 18 (41%) malignant soft-tissue lesions. A significant difference in SUVmax was observed between benign and malignant soft-tissue lesions. The SUVmax cutoff of 3.0 differentiated malignant from benign lesions with 100% sensitivity, 83.3% specificity, 89.6% accuracy, 78.3% positive predictive value, and 100% negative predictive value. Conclusion (18)F-FDG PET/CT seems to be able to differentiate benign from malignant soft-tissue lesions with good accuracy and very high negative predictive value. Incorporating (18)F-FDG PET/CT into the diagnostic algorithm of these patients may prevent inadequate resections and unnecessary biopsies.

Cerebrovascular lesions are frequently observed in patients with sickle-cell disease (SCD) and these structural lesions are preceded by insidious perfusion deficits. Our aim was to investigate the presence of brain perfusion deficits in neurologically asymptomatic SCD patients, especially affecting microvessels. For this study, 42 SCD patients [33 sickle-cell anemia (HbSS), 6 sickle hemoglobin C disease (HbSC), and 3 sickle β-thalassemia disease (HbSβ)] with mean hematocrit of 25.1 (±4.85; 15.6-38.5) underwent brain perfusion single photon emission computerized tomography (SPECT) using the tracer (99m)Tc-ECD. Images from SCD patients were compared to images of a healthy control group (29 females and 20 males, mean age 31 ± 8; range 25-49 years). Images underwent voxel-wise comparison of regional tracer uptake using paired t-test to estimate the probability of each voxel to have an increased or decreased tracer uptake. When compared to controls, SCD patients exhibited significantly reduced tracer uptake in basal ganglia and thalami, the anterior frontal region and the watershed region of the temporo-parietal-occipital transition (p 0.05). Our study showed that neurologically asymptomatic adult SCD patients exhibit a pattern of reduced (99m)Tc-ECD tracer uptake demonstrated by SPECT. Early diagnosis of this cerebral vasculopathy has prognostic implications and can be determinant in considering therapeutic alternatives to avoid increasing brain lesion load and progressive disability.

The objectives of the study were to evaluate the performance of sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) in detecting occult metastases in papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) and to correlate their presence to tumor and patient characteristics. Twenty-three clinically node-negative PTC patients (21 females, mean age 48.4 years) were prospectively enrolled. Patients were submitted to sentinel lymph node (SLN) lymphoscintigraphy prior to total thyroidectomy. Ultrasound-guided peritumoral injections of (99m)Tc-phytate (7.4 MBq) were performed. Cervical single-photon emission computed tomography and computed tomography (SPECT/CT) images were acquired 15 min after radiotracer injection and 2 h prior to surgery. Intra-operatively, SLNs were located with a gamma probe and removed along with non-SLNs located in the same neck compartment. Papillary thyroid carcinoma, SLNs and non-SLNs were submitted to histopathology analysis. Sentinel lymph nodes were located in levels: II in 34.7 % of patients; III in 26 %; IV in 30.4 %; V in 4.3 %; VI in 82.6 % and VII in 4.3 %. Metastases in the SLN were noted in seven patients (30.4 %), in non-SLN in three patients (13.1 %), and in the lateral compartments in 20 % of patients. There were significant associations between lymph node (LN) metastases and the presence of angio-lymphatic invasion (p = 0.04), extra-thyroid extension (p = 0.03) and tumor size (p = 0.003). No correlations were noted among LN metastases and patient age, gender, stimulated thyroglobulin levels, positive surgical margins, aggressive histology and multifocal lesions. Sentinel lymph node biopsy can detect occult metastases in PTC. The risk of a metastatic SLN was associated with extra-thyroid extension, larger tumors and angio-lymphatic invasion. This may help guide future neck dissection, patient surveillance and radioiodine therapy doses.

The purpose of this study was to verify the performance of quantitative ultrasound (QUS) parameters of proximal phalanges in the evaluation of reduced bone mineral density (BMD) in patients with congenital adrenal hyperplasia due to 21-hydroxylase deficiency (21 OHD). Seventy patients with 21 OHD (41 females and 29 males), aged between 6-27 y were assessed. The QUS measurements, amplitude-dependent speed of sound (AD-SoS), bone transmission time (BTT), and ultrasound bone profile index (UBPI) were obtained using the BMD Sonic device (IGEA, Carpi, Italy) on the last four proximal phalanges in the non-dominant hand. BMD was determined by dual energy X-ray (DXA) across the total body and lumbar spine (LS). Total body and LS BMD were positively correlated to UBPI, BTT and AD-SoS (correlation coefficients ranged from 0.59-0.72, p0.001). In contrast, when comparing patients with normal and low (Z-score-2) BMD, no differences were found in the QUS parameters. Furthermore, UBPI, BTT and AD-SoS measurements were not effective for diagnosing patients with reduced BMD by receiver operator characteristic curve parameters. Although the AD-SoS, BTT and UBPI showed significant correlations with the data obtained by DXA, they were not effective for diagnosing reduced bone mass in patients with 21 OHD.

Importance Single-photon emission computed tomography/computed tomography (SPECT/CT) and radioguided sentinel lymph node biopsy (rSLNB) are techniques that could potentially benefit surgeons and pathologists in the identification of sentinel lymph node (SLN) metastases in patients with papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC). Evidence suggests that these novel techniques lead to substantial changes in PTC management by reducing understaging and of occult lymph node (LN) metastases and optimizing neck surgery by increasing the necessity of lateral lymphadenectomy and decreasing central lymphadenectomy. Objectives To correlate the presence of LN metastases in PTC with clinical and pathological features using SPECT/CT andrSLNB. Design, Setting, and Participants For this prospective cohort study from June 2010 to November 2013, 42 patients with thyroid nodules suspicious for papillary carcinoma or classified as malignant on cytology examination without suspicion of lymph node metastases by clinical and ultrasound examinations were recruited from a single public medical institution. Interventions All 42 patients underwent preoperative lymphoscintigraphy after an ultrasound-guided peritumoral injection of Technetium Tc 99m nanocolloid. Cervical images were acquired with a SPECT/CT scanner 15 minutes after radiotracer injection. Approximately 2 hours after lymphoscintigraphy, the patients were submitted to intraoperativerSLNB using a handheld gamma probe. All SLNs identified were removed alongside with non-SLNs from the same compartment. Papillary thyroid carcinoma, SLNs and non-SLNs were submitted for histopathology and immunohistochemical analyses. Results Of the 42 patients initially enrolled, 37 were included in analysis, including 6 men and 31 women with a mean (range) age of 47 (22-83) years. Overall, T stage was as follows: T1, 23 patients (62.2%); T2, 8 patients (21.6%); and T3, 6 patients (16.2%). Sentinel lymph nodes were identified in 92% of the patients, and among these metastases were present in 17 patients (46%). The SLNs were false-negative in 3 patients. Metastases in the lateral compartment ocurred in 7 patients (18%). There was a significant association between LN metastases and tumor size (odds ratio, 1.06; 95% CI, 1.00-1.13;P = .02), with a Cohendeffect of 0.683 (medium to large effect). Overall, 17 patients (46%) with LN metastases had management changed because they were submitted to higher radioiodine ablation doses and closer clinical surveillance. Conclusions And Relevance Radioguided SLNB is able to detect occult cervical lymph node metastases in patients with papillary thyroid carcinoma, and in 7 patients (18%)rSLNB detected lymph node metastases in the lateral compartments. TherSLNB technique lead to management change in 14 patients (37.8%).

Bone scintigraphy (BS) has been used extensively for many years for the diagnosis of bone metastases despite its low specificity and significant rate of equivocal lesions. (18)F-Fluoride PET/CT has been proven to have a high sensitivity and specificity in the detection of malignant bone lesions, but its effectiveness in patients with inconclusive lesions on BS is not well documented. This study evaluated the ability of (18)F-fluoride PET/CT to exclude bone metastases in patients with various malignant primary tumours and nonspecific findings on BS.We prospectively studied 42 patients (34-88 years of age, 26 women) with different types of tumour. All patients had BS performed for staging or restaging purposes but with inconclusive findings. All patients underwent (18)F-fluoride PET/CT. All abnormalities identified on BS images were visually compared with their appearance on the PET/CT images.All the 96 inconclusive lesions found on BS images of the 42 patients were identified on PET/CT images. (18)F-Fluoride PET/CT correctly excluded bone metastases in 23 patients (68 lesions). Of 19 patients (28 lesions) classified by PET/CT as having metastases, 3 (5 lesions) were finally classified as free of bone metastases on follow-up. The sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values of (18)F-fluoride PET/CT were, respectively, 100 %, 88 %, 84 % and 100 % for the identification of patients with metastases (patient analysis) and 100 %, 82 % and 100 % for the identification of metastatic lesions (lesion analysis).The factors that make BS inconclusive do not affect (18)F-fluoride PET/CT which shows a high sensitivity and negative predictive value for excluding bone metastases even in patients with inconclusive conventional BS.

Background There is little information about body weight and body composition (BC) among users of the levonorgestrel-releasing intrauterine system (LNG-IUS). The aim of this study was to evaluate body weight and BC in LNG-IUS users compared to users of the TCu380A intrauterine device (IUD). Study Design A prospective study was done with 76 new users of both contraceptive methods. Women were paired by age (��2 years) and body mass index (BMI, kg/m 2 , ��2). Body weight and BC (% lean mass and % fat mass) were evaluated by a trained professional at baseline and at 1 year of contraceptive use. The BC measurements were obtained using Lunar DXA equipment. Weight and BC were evaluated in each woman at baseline and at 12 months and analyzed as the mean change within each woman. Then, the changes in weight and BC for each woman were calculated and then compared between LNG-IUS and TCu380A IUD users (paired data for each woman). The central-to-peripheral fat ratio was calculated by dividing trunk fat by the upper and lower limb fat. Results There were no significant differences at time of IUD insertion between LNG-IUS and TCu380A IUD users regarding age (mean��SD) (34.4��7.5 vs. 33.9��8.0 years), BMI (25.3��4.1 vs. 25.9��4.1) and number of pregnancies (1.9��0.2 vs. 1.7��0.2), respectively. Mean body weight gain of 2.9 kg was observed among LNG-IUS users at 12 months (p=.0012), whereas the body weight of TCu380A IUD users only increased by 1.4 kg (p=.067). There was no significant difference in body weight change between the two groups of users at 12 months. The variation in the central-to-peripheral fat ratio was the same between the two groups (���1.6% vs. ���0.2%; p=.364). LNG-IUS users showed a 2.5% gain in fat mass (p=.0009) and a 1.4% loss of lean mass, whereas TCu380A IUD users showed a loss of 1.3% of fat mass (p=.159) and gain of 1.0% of lean mass (p=.120). TCu380A IUD users gained more lean mass than LNG-IUS users (p=.0270), although there was no significant difference between the two groups after 12 months of use. Conclusions Although an increase in mean fat mass among LNG-IUS users at 12 months of use was observed, it should be noted that an increase of body weight was also observed in both groups after 1 year of insertion of the device. However, a study with a larger number of women and long-term evaluation is necessary to evaluate these body changes.