PURPOSE: To evaluate the value of dacryoscintigraphy in the assessment of patients with a clinical diagnosis of functional nasolacrimal duct obstruction. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Dacryoscintigraphy was performed in symptomatic 35 lacrimal drainage systems in 18 patients (age range: 37~76, 8 males, 10 females) that were patent on syringing. RESULTS: Abnormalities were detected with dacryoscintigraphy in 75.8% of systems. The positive scintigrams were subdivided into those demonstrating prelacrimal sac delay (31.8%), delay at the lacrimal sac/junction (40.9%), or delay within the duct (27%). CONCLUSION: Dacryoscintigraphy is noninvasive useful technique in the assessment of the functional nasolacrimal duct obstruction and very sensitive at detecting abnormalities in patients with lid laxity caused by senile change and facial nerve palsy.
Diagnosis* ; Drainage ; Facial Nerve ; Humans ; Male ; Nasolacrimal Duct* ; Paralysis

PURPOSE: Thallim-201 (201Tl) brain SPECT and proton (1H) magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) have been used to evaluate tumor grade and viability of glioma. We assessed the correlations between 201Tl brain index or spectrum of metabolites of 1H MRS and grade of glioma or histopathologic findings. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We studied 17 patients (4 astrocytoma, 7 anaplastic astrocytoma and 6 glioblastoma). On 201Tl Brain SPECT, 201Tl index was measured as the ratio of average counts for region of interest to those for the contralateral normal brain. On 1H MRS, we calculated choline (Cho) /creatine (Cr) ratio and N-acetylaspartate (NAA)/Cr ratio in ROI defined as tumor center. Histopathologic findings were graded by Ki-67 index, cellularity, mitosis, pleomorphism, necrosis and endothelial proliferation. An unpaired t test and statistical correlations were performed to evaluate these data. RESULTS: Tl-index showed the best correlation with Ki-67 index (p<0.01), less correlations with cellularity, mitosis, and endothelial proliferation, but no correlation with results of MRS, pleomorphism, or necrosis. The findings of MRS did not correlate with all of the above. The cases of glioblastoma demonstrated a higher Tl-index, Cho/Cr ratio, Ki-67 index and lower NAA/Cr ratio, albeit without statistical significance. CONCLUSION: Even though 201Tl brain SPECT did not correlate directly with grade of malignancy, it may still be useful in determining biological aggressiveness of tumor and prognosis of patients because it correlated well with Ki-67 index, a growth fraction of glioma, cellularity, mitosis and endothelial proliferation.
Astrocytoma ; Brain* ; Choline ; Glioblastoma ; Glioma* ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy* ; Mitosis ; Necrosis ; Pathology* ; Prognosis ; Protons ; Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon*

PURPOSE: Thallim-201 (201Tl) brain SPECT, which can represent cellular activity of brain lesions, may provide more useful information in differentiating between benign and malignant brain lesions more so than CT or MRI, that merely represents anatomic changes or breakdown of blood brain barrier. We used 201Tl brain SPECT prospectively to evaluate the utility of 201Tl-indices as an indicator of benign or malignant lesions. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We studied 28 patients. There were 13 cases of benign lesions (3: nonspecific benign lesion, 3: meningioma, 2: low grade glioma, 1: tuberculoma, central neurocytoma, hemangioblastoma, radiation necrosis, and choroid plexus papilloma) and 15 cases of malignant lesions (6: glioblastoma multiforme, 5: anaplastic glioma, 2: medulloblastoma, 1: metastasis and lymphoma). In all patients, CT and/or MRI were obtained and then 201Tl brain SPECT was obtained with measuring mean 201Tl index and peak 201Tl index. An unpaired t-test was performed to compare the 201Tl-indices and pathologic diagnoses to evaluate the utility of 201Tl-indices as an indicator of benign or malignant lesions. RESULTS: There were no statistically significant difference in 201Tl-indices between benign and malignant brain lesions (P>0.05). CONCLUSION: These results demonstrated that we could not use 201Tl indices on brain SPECT alone as an indicator of benign or malignant brain lesions.
Blood-Brain Barrier ; Brain* ; Choroid Plexus ; Diagnosis ; Glioblastoma ; Glioma ; Hemangioblastoma ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Medulloblastoma ; Meningioma ; Necrosis ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Neurocytoma ; Prospective Studies ; Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon* ; Tuberculoma

PURPOSE: Measurement of transmission dose is useful for in vivo dosimetry. In this study, the algorithm for estimating the transmission dose for open radiation fields was modified for application to partially blocked radiation fields. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The beam data was measured with a flat solid phantom with various blocked fields. A new correction algorithm for partially blocked radiation field was developed from the measured data. This algorithm was tested in some settings simulating clinical treatment with an irregular field shape. RESULTS: The correction algorithm for the beam block could accurately reflect the effect of the beam block, with an error within +/-1.0%, with both square fields and irregularly shaped fields. CONCLUSION: This algorithm can accurately estimate the transmission dose in most radiation treatment settings, including irregularly shaped field.