99Tcm-solcocitran in the detection of bone malignancy.

A new 99Tcm-labelled compound, 99Tcm-Solcocitran, has been introduced for detection of bone and brain malignancy. It is claimed to be specific for neoplastic tissue. In the present material, however, 99Tcm-Solcocitran was less sensitive in indicating metastatic bone lesions in patients than was 99Tcm-Diphosphonate or conventional radiography. Both 99Tcm compounds accumulated in fractures in dogs. 99Tcm-Solcocitran seems to offer no advantage over existing techniques in the detection of bone malignancy.     

The hidden antral compartment

Two patients with rare isolated posterior antral compartments are presented. In both cases, the radiologist directed the surgeon to these clinically hidden recesses. The radiographic appearance included a walled-off compartment filled with material of soft-tissue density; clinical importance is discussed.     

Efficacy of the lateral view mammogram in the detection of breast malignancy.

Previous studies suggest that single-view lateral mammography alone results in a small decrease in detection of malignancies. Detection rates for lateral view only and two-view examinations in 200 cases (100 malignant, 100 nonmalignant) were compared. Four to six per cent of cases originally found positive were reinterpreted as negative in both situations. Preliminary findings suggest that the lateral view alone is sufficient, provided a second view is requested in suspicious cases.     

联合应用SPECT与MR检查恶性肿瘤早期骨转移的价值

目的:探讨联合应用单光子计算机断层扫描仪(SPECT)与磁共振扫描仪(MR)检查明确恶性肿瘤骨转移的的价值。方法:总结有随访结果的58例恶性肿瘤骨转移患者的早期诊断方法,用单光子计算机断层扫描仪(SPECT)进行全身核素骨显像的同时,进行MR检查。随访时间1.0~3.6年,平均15个月。结果:①早期诊断恶性肿瘤骨转移应在临床怀疑基础上SPECT进行全身核素骨显像的同时进行MR检查,SPECT的敏感度为75.8%,MR的敏感度为91.3%;MR有更高的敏感性与准确性;②SPECT与MR能够检测治疗过程中骨转移的病灶变化,MR扫描更具有优越性。结论:联合应用SPECT进行全身核素骨显像的同时进行MR检查,可以提高恶性肿瘤骨转移的早期诊断率,并且作为评估治疗效果的有效手段。     

Ultrasound detection of nonpalpable mammographically occult malignancy.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the prevalence of occult malignancy with screening breast ultrasound. METHODS: All ultrasound-guided core needle breast biopsies performed between January 1, 1999, and June 30, 2001, were retrospectively reviewed. Lesions were identified during screening breast ultrasound in high-risk women with no mammographic or palpable abnormality in either breast, a unilateral mammographic or palpable abnormality in the contralateral breast, or a unilateral mammographic or palpable abnormality in a different quadrant of the same breast. All ultrasound-detected lesions were histologically verified. RESULTS: Six hundred and fifty-two women with a mean age of 49 years underwent 698 biopsies during the study period. Three hundred and forty-nine of these lesions were detected at screening breast ultrasound. Out of 349, 11 (3.2%) had a mammographically and clinically occult malignancy. Nine cancers were found in women with no mammographic or palpable abnormality. Two cancers were found in the same breast as the mammographic or palpable abnormality. None were found in the breast contralateral to a palpable or mammographic abnormality. CONCLUSION: Screening breast ultrasound of high-risk women has a similar detection rate for occult carcinoma as screening mammography, but has a low positive predictive value in cases where biopsy is performed.     

18F-FDG PET detection of unknown primary malignancy in dermatomyositis

Dermatomyositis is an inflammatory myopathy that has an association with malignancy in adults. We present a patient who initially presented with adenopathy and progressive muscular weakness and was diagnosed with dermatomyositis and lung carcinoma on further investigation. Whole-body PET/CT scan revealed diffuse proximal muscle hypermetabolism representing the inflammatory nature of dermatomyositis, and an intensely FDG-avid primary right lower lung small cell lung carcinoma and metastatic thoracic lymphadenopathy. PET/CT imaging may offer an "all-in-one" procedure as an alternative to other diagnostic procedures, reducing the number of unnecessary investigations in patients presenting with paraneoplastic syndromes searching for underlying malignancy.     

Pathologic fractures in a patient with renal osteodystrophy. Failure of early detection on bone scans

A case of false-negative Tc-99m MDP bone scintigrams, taken at one and two weeks for pathologic fractures in a patient with metabolic bone disease and a super-scan appearance, is described. The patient had renal osteodystrophy, and postparathyroidectomy hypocalcemia. Postoperative seizures caused multiple pathologic fractures. Initial scans were negative for focal tracer localization in the presence of a continued super-scan appearance. After months of calcium and vitamin D replacement therapy, fracture sites became positive on Tc-99m MDP imaging. The observations in this case lend credence to the hypothesis of Tc-99m MDP binding by immature collagen in the production of a super scan in metabolic bone disease, as well as that of Tc-99m MDP chemisorption to calcium hydroxyapatite crystal in fracture healing. In addition, aluminum toxicity, common in chronic renal osteodystrophy, may have played a role in the delayed fracture healing.     

The detection of extramedullary hematopoiesis in a patient with osteopetrosis

^99mTc-HSA millimicrospheres were used to detect a site of extra medullary hematopoiesis in the chest of a patient with severe osteopetrosis, anemia, thrombocytopenia and splenomegaly causing renal complications. These problems led to the consideration of splenectomy which necessitated a search for other extra medullary hematopoietic sites.     

The detection of extramedullary hematopoiesis in a patient with osteopetrosis

99mTc-HSA millimicrospheres were used to detect a site of extra medullary hematopoiesis in the chest of a patient with severe osteopetrosis, anemia, thrombocytopenia and splenomegaly causing renal complications. These problems led to the consideration of splenectomy which necessitated a search for other extra medullary hematopoietic sites.     

The nonspecificity of the antral bowing sign in maxillary sinus pathology

Although bowing of the posterior antral wall occurs most commonly with juvenile angiofibroma, it can occur with any slow growing noninvasive lesion involving the retromaxillary region. Cases of schwannomas, a lymphoepithelioma, and a fibrous histiocytoma are presented as examples of the nonspecificity of the antral bowing sign.     

The significance of mammographic calcifications in early breast cancer detection

3,126 medical reports on women sent to mammary biopsy following breast examination at the Florence Center for the Study and Prevention of Cancer in November 1978-July 1982 were reviewed in order to assess the diagnostic significance of mammographic microcalcifications. All mammographies were examined in order to assess the presence and morphological aspects of the microcalcifications on the bioptic site. Microcalcifications were classified on the basis of the following morphological criteria: spatial disposition (isolated, clustered, diffuse); total number; number per cm; morphological aspect (dot-like, stick-like or ramified); shape (regular or irregular); radiological density; association with mammographic opacity; maximum and average diameter. Microcalcifications were encountered in 19.7% of 157 breast cancer diagnosed in a mammographic screening programme conducted on the asymptomatic population in 19.5% of 953 breast cancers diagnosed in self-referring women (most with symptoms). Among cases where subsequent histological examination revealed a benign pathology, microcalcifications were more frequent in the cases deriving from the screening programme (14.5% of 198 cases) than among self-referred cases (4.5% of 1818 cases). The presence of microcalcifications is in itself a predictive sign of the presence of a carcinoma (positive predictive value = 66.2%) but this radiological sign is only present in 20% of breast cancers. Among the various parameters considered in assessing the diagnostic significance of microcalcifications, irregular shape was the most indicative of carcinoma with a predictive value of 80% and presence in 88% of carcinoma with microcalcifications. Other microcalcification parameters with a particular predictive significance are diffuse spatial disposition, total number (over 10) and number per cm (over 50), site contiguous with a mammographic opacity and a mean diameter of 0.6-0.9 mm. Unfortunately these latter parameters are only 24% of tumour cases with microcalcifications. The incidence of microcalcifications in cancer does not vary according to age, but is strongly correlated with the tumour stage. In particular microcalcifications are found in about 1/3 of in situ carcinomas. In invasive cancers, the presence of microcalcifications tends to increase with the diameter of the lesion. No correlation was found in breast cancers between the presence of microcalcifications, lymph node condition and histological type.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)