No abstract available.
Thyroid Gland* ; Thyroid Neoplasms* ; Thyrotropin Alfa*

PURPOSE: This editorial deals with the basic structures of medical papers in general and emphasizes the ethics of authors and reviewers. A majority of the content originated from educational material issued at the 2002 Annual Meeting for the Korean Committee of Medical Journal Editors. Current issues from the publication of the Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine were also included.
Ethics ; Nuclear Medicine ; Publications

PURPOSE: Aspiration scintigraphy is a procedure of nuclear imaging to evaluate aspiration and of quantifying the amount of aspirate. The ultimate goal of our study is to define the correlation between aspiration and aspiration pneumonia by aspiration scintigraphy, and this is a preliminary report of its trial. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Ten patients with positive findings by videofluoroscopy were selected. The patients ingested semi-solid food containing Tc-99m tin colloid 92.5 MBq (2.5 mCi) and images were acquired immediately after the ingestion and 3 hrs later. A fraction of aspiration to the ingested was calculated using an equation with a decay correction. RESULTS: Five patients were interpreted positive by aspiration scintigraphy. Four patients were positive at initial images and the fractions of aspiration were 0.11%, 0.11%, 0.81%, and 0.11%. The one patient who was shown aspirated at both images had initial 5.82% and delayed 2.26%. CONCLUSION: Aspiration scintigraphy enables us to localize the aspiration at any desired time of the test and to quantify its amount. Follow-up studies are warranted.
Colloids ; Eating ; Humans ; Pneumonia, Aspiration ; Radionuclide Imaging* ; Tin

A 44-year-old man with a past medical history of splenectomy came to hospital because of epigastric pain. Abdominopelvic computed tomography(CT) showed a soft tissue mass and multifocal variable-sized nodules as well as findings suggestive of cholecystitis. Subsequently, he underwent Tc-99m-labeled heat-denatured red blood cell(RBC) scintigraphy to evaluate the mass and nodules. The scintigraphy confirmed multifocal peritoneal splenosis in the abdominopelvic cavity.
Adult ; Cholecystitis ; Erythrocytes* ; Humans ; Radionuclide Imaging* ; Spleen ; Splenectomy ; Splenosis*

A tail-on-detector (TOD) view has been used to see the symphysis pubis or sacrococcyx in skeletal scintigraphy, but it is inconvenient to acquire because a patient must sit or lean on a detector. The TOD views are still frequently performed in training hospitals in Korea, although it is becoming almost impossible to sit on a camera in this age of dual-headed cameras. The authors show cases with lateral views obtained in supine position that were acquired for the same reason; they are easier and more useful than the TOD views.
Coccyx ; Humans ; Korea ; Radionuclide Imaging* ; Sacrococcygeal Region* ; Sacrum ; Supine Position ; Technetium Tc 99m Medronate

PURPOSE: We evaluated radioisotope and sex-specific differences of normal limits for left ventricle volumes (LVVs) and ejection fraction (EF) using myocardial perfusion gated SPECT (g-SPECT). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Rest Tl-201/post-stress Tc-99m MIBI g-SPECT measurements with acquisitions of 8-frame were evaluated for 70 patients (mean age 55 +/- 14, 56% female) who either had < 10% pretest likelihood of CAD (n = 12) or had normal coronary angiography (EF > 50%) (n = 58). LVEF, LVVs were automatically determined by quantitative gated SPECT using QGS program. RESULTS: Similar results were obtained for mean LVEF between Tc-99m MIBI (62% +/- 7%) and Tl-201 (63% +/- 8%) g-SPECT measurements. In Contrast, Tl-201 g-SPECT had significantly lower LVVs values (EDV; 74 +/- 23 mL, ESV; 28 +/- 14 mL) than Tc-99m MIBI g-SPECT (EDV; 82 +/- 25 mL, ESV; 32 +/- 15 mL) (p< 0.05). Women had significantly lower EDV (Tc-99m MIBI; 71 +/- 18 mL, Tl-201; 65 +/- 17 mL), and ESV values (Tc-99m MIBI; 27 +/- 10 mL, Tl-201; 23 +/- 8 mL) compared with EDV (Tc-99m MIBI; 96 +/- 27 mL, Tl-201; 85 +/- 24 mL), and ESV values (Tc-99m MIBI; 40 +/- 17 mL, Tl-201; 36 +/- 16 mL) of men (p< 0.05). Women had significantly higher LV EF values (65% +/- 7%) than men (60% +/- 8%) by Tl-201 gated SPECT (p< 0.05). CONCLUSION: These data suggest significant differeuces in normal limits for LVVs and EF, according to genders and radiopharmaceutical. Therefore, the evaluation of cardiac function in patients should consider radioisotope and sex-matched normal values.
Coronary Angiography ; Female ; Heart Ventricles ; Humans ; Male ; Perfusion* ; Reference Values ; Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon*

Many radiopharmaceuticals have been developed and wildy used in the imaging cardiac function. Myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) is a well established noninvasive method of assessing coronary blood flow and has been widely used in patients diagnosed or suspected with coronary artery diseases. The innovation of radiopharmaceuticals used in the cardiac imaging is one of the most important contributors to the development of nuclear cardiology. Thallium-201 and various technetium-99m agents have been globally used for myocardial perfusion SPECT, and N-13 ammonia (13NH3), rubidium-82 (82Rb), O-15 water (H215O) for myocardial perfusion PET. As well as the cardiac perfusion studies, new radiopharmaceuticals that visualize fat metabolism or receptors of the sympathetic nervous system have successfully been applied to clinical practice. Useful information can be obtained for diagnosing coronary artery disease, evaluating patients' condition, or assessing therapeutic effects. In this review, we describe the characteristics and clinical usefulness of radiopharmaceuticals used for cardiac SPECT and PET.
Ammonia ; Cardiology ; Coronary Artery Disease ; Humans ; Myocardial Perfusion Imaging ; Perfusion ; Radiopharmaceuticals ; Sympathetic Nervous System ; Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon ; Water

PURPOSE: Gastric emptying scan (GES) is usually acquired up to 2 hours. Our study investigated whether a fraction of meal-retention in the stomach at 120 minutes (FR120) was predicted from the data measured for 90 minutes by using non-linear curve fitting. We aimed at saving the delayed imaging by utilizing mathematical models. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Ninety-six patients underwent GES immediately after taking a boiled egg with 74 MBq (2 mCi) Tc-99m DTPA. The patients were divided into Group I (T1/2 < or=90 min) and Group II (90 min< T1/2< or=120 min). Group I (n=51) had 21 men and 30 women, and Group II (n=45) 15 men and 30 women. There was no significant difference in age and sex between the two groups. Simple exponential, power exponential, and modified power exponential curves were acquired from the measured fraction of meal-retention at each time (0, 15, 30, 45, 60, 75, and 90 min) by non-linear curve fitting (MATLAB (R) 5.3) and another simple exponential fitting was performed on the fractions at late times (60, 75, and 90 min). A predicted FR120 was calculated from the acquired functional formulas. A correlation coefficient between the measured FR120 and the predicted FR120 was computed (MedCalc (R) 6.0). RESULTS: Correlation coefficients (r) between the measured FR120 and the predicted FR120 of each mathematical functions were as follows: simple exponential function (Group I: 0.8858, Group II: 0.5982, p< 0.0001), power exponential function (Group I: 0.8755, Group II: 0.6008, p< 0.0001), modified power exponential function (Group I: 0.8892, Group II: 0.5882, p< 0.0001), and simple exponential function at the late times (Group I: 0.9085, Group II: 0.6832, p< 0.0001). In all the fitting models, the predicted FR120 were significantly correlated with the measured FR120 in Group I but not in Group II. There was no statistically significant difference in correlation among the 4 mathematical models. CONCLUSION: In the cases with T1/2 < or=90 min, the predicted FR120 is significantly correlated with the measured FR120. Therefore, FR120 can be predicted from the data measured for 90 minutes by using non-linear curve fitting, saving the delayed imaging after 90 minutes when T1/2 < or=90 min is ascertained.
Female ; Gastric Emptying* ; Humans ; Male ; Models, Theoretical* ; Ovum ; Pentetic Acid ; Radionuclide Imaging* ; Stomach

BACKGROUND: One of the theoretical advantages of skeletonized internal mammary artery harvesting in coronary artery bypass surgery is to minimize the interruption of the sternal blood flow inevitably accompanied by internal mammary harvesting. A study using bone scan is designed to determine the effects of internal mammary artery harvesting technique on the sternal blood flow. MATERIAL AND METHOD: From April 2002 to March 2003, 27 patients out of 48 patients who underwent the isolated coronary bypass surgery were enrolled into the study. The enrolled patients underwent bone scan in the preoperative period and postoperative period respectively. Bilateral internal mammary arteries were used in 8 patients (BIMA group) and single left internal mammary artery in 19 patients (LIMA group). The patients in LIMA group were divided into two groups: LIMA_skel group, in whom left internal mammary artery was harvested in skeletonized fashion (n=12), and LIMA_ped group, in whom left internal mammary artery was harvested in pedicled fashion (n=7). After the bone scan, the region of interest (ROI) was created on the left half of the sternum and the mirror image with the same pixel numbers was placed on the right half of the sternum. The mean counts per pixel on the left side of the sternum was compared with those on the right side and expressed as left to right ratio (L/R ratio). RESULT: In LIMA group, the L/R ratio decreased from 94.6+/-4.1% to 87.9+/-6.9% (p=0.003) after the operation as compared to BIMA group, in which no change of the L/R ratio was observed. The changes of the L/R ratio in LIMA_skel group and LIMA_ped group were from 95.3+/-4.2% to 88.3+/-7.7% and from 93.4+/-3.9% to 87.4+/-5.8% respectively. The % changes in L/R ratio were -7.44+/-7.08 in LIMA_skel group and -6.17+/-9.08 in LIMA_ped group, which did not reach the statistical difference. CONCLUSION: Ipsilateral sternal blood flow is interrupted by internal mammary artery harvesting as evidenced by the decrease in L/R ratio after left internal mammary artery harvesting irrespective of the harvesting techniques. Skeletonized harvesting did not show superiority in respect to sternal blood flow as compared to pedicled harvesting.
Coronary Artery Bypass ; Humans ; Mammary Arteries* ; Postoperative Period ; Preoperative Period ; Regional Blood Flow ; Skeleton* ; Sternum

PURPOSE: The diagnosis of acute cholecystitis is usually made by performing ultrasonography or biliary scintigraphy. We have introduced the (99m)Tc-ciprofloxacin (infecton) scan for diagnosing of acute cholecystitis. The main aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of (99m)Tc-ciprofloxacin imaging in comparison with ultrasonographic findings for the diagnosis of acute cholecystitis. METHODS: Sixteen patients who were thought to have acute or chronic cholecystitis, based on the clinical and sonographic findings, were included in this study. We gave intravenous (99m)Tc-ciprofloxacin to sixteen patients and we obtained the SPECT images after one hour. The final diagnosis of acute cholecystitis was made according to the pathologic reports. RESULTS: According to pathologic reports, out of the sixteen patients, twelve patients had acute cholecystitis and four patients had chronic cholecystitis. On the (99m)Tc-ciprofloxacin scans, twelve patients had positive images showing acute cholecystitis on account of the hot uptake in the gallbladder and four patents had negative images showing chronic cholecystitis due to the negative uptake in the gallbladder. Among them, one false positive case and one false negative case were observed. With performing ultrasonography, twelve and four patients were diagnosed as having acute and chronic cholecystitis respectively. Out of them one false positive case and three false negative cases were observed. Based on the pathologic reports, (99m)Tc-ciprofloxacin imaging has a sensitivity of 91.7% and a specificity of 75%. The ultrasonography had a sensitivity of 91.7% and a specificity of 25%. CONCLUSION: As a result of comparing the sensitivity and specificity of the (99m)Tc-ciprofloxacin scan with those of the ultrasonography, the (99m)Tc-ciprofloxacin scan is considered to be useful test method to diagnose acute cholecystitis.
Cholecystitis ; Cholecystitis, Acute* ; Diagnosis* ; Gallbladder ; Humans ; Radionuclide Imaging ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon ; Ultrasonography