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 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

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*

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: The detection of residual stenosis of infarct related artery (IRA) at early stage after acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is crucial in clinical decision making for interventional revascularization. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relevancy of early dipyridamole stress myocardial SPECT to detect functionally and luminologically significant residual stenosis of IRA after AMI. METHODS: Twenty five consecutive patients (M:F=19:6, age: 56+/-13yrs) with AMI were underwent SPECT and coronary angiography within 5 days of the attack. Infarct related arteries with FFR 70% were regarded to have functionally and morphologically significant residual stenosis. Reversible perfusion defect was defined if there was improvement of pefusion score more than one grade in infarct segments on rest images of SPECT compared with stress images. RESULTS: Mean FFR and DST were 0.76+/-0.14 and 74+/-15%. SPECT showed no significant correlation with both FFR and DST with Kendall's coefficiency of 0.28 (p=0.05) and 0.13 (p=0.35). The sensitivity and specificity of SPECT to detect functionally and morphologically significant residual stenosis were 92%, 31% and 83%, 29%. CONCLUSION: The early dipyridamole stress myocardial SPECT after AMI dose not seem to be a useful non-invasive test for the detection of functionally and luminologically significant residual stenosis of IRA.
Arteries* ; Constriction, Pathologic* ; Coronary Angiography* ; Decision Making ; Dipyridamole* ; Humans ; Myocardial Infarction ; Perfusion ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon*

PURPOSE: We investigated whether the diagnostic performance of SPECT scintimammography (SMM) can be improved by adding computer-aided diagnosis (CAD) of ultrasonography (US). MATERIALS AND METHODS: We reviewed breast SPECT SMM images and corresponding US images from 40 patients with breast masses (21 malignant and 19 benign tumors). The quantitative data of SPECT SMM were obtained as the uptake ratio of lesion to contralateral normal breast. The morphologic features of the breast lesions on US were extracted and quantitated using the automated CAD software program. The diagnostic performance of SPECT SMM and CAD of US alone was determined using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. The best discriminating parameter (D-value) combining SPECT SMM and the CAD of US was created. The sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of combined two diagnostic modalities were compared to those of a single one. RESULTS: Both SPECT SMM and CAD of US showed a relatively good diagnostic performance (area under curve = 0.846 and 0.831, respectively). Combining the results of SPECT SMM and CAD of US resulted in improved diagnostic performance (area under curve =0.860), but there was no statistical differerence in sensitivity, specificity and accuracy between the combined method and a single modality. CONCLUSION: It seems that combining the results of SPECT SMM and CAD of breast US do not significantly improve the diagnostic performance for diagnosis of breast cancer, compared with that of SPECT SMM alone. However, SPECT SMM and CAD of US may complement each other in differential diagnosis of breast cancer.
Breast Neoplasms* ; Breast* ; Complement System Proteins ; Diagnosis* ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Humans ; ROC Curve ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon ; Ultrasonography*