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

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: 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

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

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: 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*

BACKGROUND: Several clinical observations suggest that the incidence of gallbladder stone increases after gastric surgery. The mechanism is not clear, but many investigators have proposed that the cause may be decreased gallbladder motility due to vagal denervation. However, the authors observed a increased-incidence of gallbladder stone in Billroth II anastomosis (gastrojejunostomy) and an unchanged- incidence of that in Billroth I anastomosis (gastroduodenostomy) after a radical subtotal gastrectomy. METHODS: We studied the change in the motility of gallbladder after gastrectomy, prospectively. Gallbladder ejection fraction was compared pre- and postoperatively by gallbaldder scintigraphy with DISIDA. RESULTS: 32 patients were involved in this study. They were all thought to have early gastric cancer, preoperatively and received a radical subtotal gastrectomy. 20 patients underwent a Billroth I anastomosis and 12 patients, Billroth II anastomosis after gastrectomy. The mean ejection fractions of the Billroth I group were 75.9% and 46.4%, pre- and postoperatively, and those of the Billroth II group were 78.2% and 45.3%. There were no difference of ejection fractions between the two groups. However a significant difference existed between the preoperative and the postoperative ejection fractions in each group. CONCLUSIONS: These findings may mean that the gastrectomy (it means vagal denervation) may be the major cause of the decreased gallbladder motility and that the reconstruction method after a gastrectomy may have no significant effect on gallbladder motility.
Denervation ; Follow-Up Studies* ; Gallbladder ; Gallstones ; Gastrectomy* ; Gastroenterostomy ; Humans ; Incidence ; Prospective Studies* ; Radionuclide Imaging ; Research Personnel ; Stomach Neoplasms ; Urinary Bladder* ; Vagotomy

Distal renal tubular acidosis is a condition characterized by an inability of the distal nephron to acidify urine, causing hyperchloremic metabolic acidosis. Distal renal tubular acidosis is classified as proton secretory defect, permeability defect and voltage defect based on its pathophysiology. In the former two, serum level of potassium decreases due to increased excretion of potassium. But in the latter (voltage defect), hyperkalemia is characteristic by impaired the generation of an optimal electrical gradient for hydrogen ion and potassium secretion. We experienced a case of Sj gren's syndrome associated with both voltage defect distal renal tubular acidosis and nephrogenic diabetes insipidus. The patient was a 58- year-old woman who complained of general weakness, nausea and xerostomia. Laboratory analysis showed metabolic acidosis with alkaline urine and hyperkalemia. Anti-nuclear antibody and anti-ds DNA antibody were positive. She presented with polyuria, low urine osmolarity and inadequate response to DDAVP. The response to Shirmer test was decreased. Salivary scintigraphy showed decrease of uptake in the parotid and submandibular salivary glands. We believe this is the first case report in which Sj gren's syndrome is associated with both voltage defect distal renal tubular acidosis and nephrogenic diabetes insipidus.
Acidosis ; Acidosis, Renal Tubular* ; Deamino Arginine Vasopressin ; Diabetes Insipidus, Nephrogenic* ; DNA ; Female ; Humans ; Hyperkalemia ; Nausea ; Nephrons ; Osmolar Concentration ; Permeability ; Polyuria ; Potassium ; Protons ; Radionuclide Imaging ; Salivary Glands ; Xerostomia