Quantitation of renal uptake of technetium-99m DMSA using SPECT

Quantitative single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) methodology based on calibration with kidney phantoms has been applied for the assessment of renal uptake of [99mTc]DMSA in 25 normals; 16 patients with a single normal kidney; 30 patients with unilateral nephropathy; and 17 patients with bilateral nephropathy. An excellent correlation (r = 0.99, s.e.e. = 152) was found between SPECT measured concentration and actual concentration in kidney phantoms. Kidney uptake at 6 hr after injection in normals was 20.0% +/- 4.6% for the left and 20.8% +/- 4.4% for the right. Patients with unilateral nephropathy had a statistically significant (p less than 0.001) low uptake in the diseased kidney (7.0% +/- 4.7%), but the contralateral kidney uptake did not differ from the normal group (20.0% +/- 7.0%). The method was especially useful in patients with bilateral nephropathy. Significantly (p less than 0.001) decreased uptake was found in both kidneys (5.1% +/- 3.4% for the left and 6.7% +/- 4.2% for the right). The total kidney uptake (right and left) in this group showed to be inversely correlated (r = 0.83) with serum creatinine. The uptake of [99mTc]DMSA in single normal kidney was higher (p less than 0.001) than in a normal kidney (34.7% +/- 11.9%), however, it was lower than the total absolute uptake (RT + LT = 41.5% +/- 8.8%) in the normal group. The results indicate that SPECT is a reliable and reproducible technique to quantitate absolute kidney uptake of [99mTc]DMSA.     

False-positive technetium-99m DMSA renal imaging in two cases of malrotated kidney

Technetium-99m dimercaptosuccinic acid (Tc-99m DMSA) has been used as a renal imaging agent of choice. A few false-positive cases of Tc-99m DMSA imaging have been reported. The authors have experienced false-positive Tc-99m DMSA imagings in two cases of a malrotated kidney, and this finding previously has not been reported in the literature. The possibility of its nuclear imaging diagnosis with Tc-99m DTPA is also discussed.     

Evaluation of hypertensive patients by means of captopril enhanced renal scintigraphy with technetium-99m DTPA

One-hundred five hypertensive patients underwent conventional renal scintigraphy followed 2 or 3 days later by Captopril-enhanced renal scintigraphy, performed 1 hr after premedication with 50 mg of Captopril per os. All patients were then submitted to renal arteriography, performed within 15-30 days. Fifty-five patients had no renal artery stenosis, 29 had unilateral disease, and 21 bilateral. Overall, 34/37 patients were diagnosed by the provocative test as having at least one renal artery affected by a stenosis greater than 50%. Of those with no stenosis (n = 55) or stenosis less than 50% (n = 13) only two cases were falsely positive. Thus sensitivity was 92% and specificity 97%. For single kidney identification with stenosis greater than 50%, sensitivity of renal scintigraphy after Captopril administration was 94% and specificity 98%. Captopril enhanced renal scintigraphy is thus suggested as the first test to be performed in hypertensive patients referred for renal scintigraphic studies. Only those cases with equivocal results require a baseline study for better assessment.     

Reproducibility of technetium-99m mercaptoacetyltriglycine clearance in patients with impaired renal function

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to determine the reproducibility of technetium-99m mercaptoacetyltriglycine (99mTc-MAG3) clearance in patients with a 99mTc-MAG3 clearance below 100 ml/min/1.73 m2. METHODS: Two separate multi-sample clearance studies were performed in 16 patients at a 1 week interval. The clearances were calculated according to the open two-compartment model of Sapirstein et al., accepting the 90, 120 and 180 min samples as the last points of the biexponential curve. The clearance measurements were also performed according to the single-sample methods of Russell et al. and Bubeck using the fitted value at 44 min. RESULTS: There was no significant difference between the two clearance measurements for all five samples (P>0.05). There was a systematic increase in clearance measurements of 8.0+/-2.7% from the 180 to 120 min samples and 4.8+/-2.0% from the 120 to 90 min samples. Both single-sample methods (Bubeck and Russell et al.) gave more divergent results than multi-sample methods. The mean and standard deviation (%) of the normalized differences between two successive tests were -3.9+/-12.6, -2.4+/-13.1, -1.9+/-14.9, -4.1+/-53.5 and -13+/-82.1 for 90, 120 and 180 min samples and the Russell et al. and Bubeck methods, respectively. CONCLUSION: Single-sample methods give very poor reproducibility and accuracy and should not be used in patients with poor renal function. The reproducibility of 99mTc-MAG3 clearance using the multi-sample method (90 min) in patients with impaired renal function is 12.6%, which is similar to that in patients with good renal function and that obtained with other tubular agents. Whether this level of reproducibility is satisfactory for documenting serial changes in an individual patient with a 99mTc-MAG3 clearance below 100 ml/min/1.73 m2 depends on the expectation of the clinician.     

Differential renal function using technetium-99m dimercaptosuccinic acid (DMSA): in vitro correlation.

The relationship between differential renal uptake of Tc-99m 2-3 dimercaptosuccinic acid (DMSA) and differential renal function was examined in normal and abnormal dogs by correlating Tc-99m DMSA localization with relative renal blood flow and creatining clearance. There was close correlation of fractional Tc-99m DMSA localization with relative renal function.     

Effectiveness of diuretic injection on the measurement of differential renal function using Tc-99m DMSA in patients with a dilated renal pelvis

AIM: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of diuretic injection for the measurement of differential renal function (DRF) with technetium-99m dimercaptosuccinic acid (Tc-99m DMSA) scintigraphy in patients with a dilated pelvis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 46 patients who were referred for both technetium-99m-L,L-ethylenedicysteine (Tc-99m L,L-EC) and Tc-99m DMSA imaging and found to have a dilated collecting system on Tc-99m EC scintigraphy were studied. Four to 5 hours after intravenous injection of Tc-99m DMSA, imaging was performed in the supine position, and posterior, anterior, left and right lateral, and left and right posterior oblique views were taken. After this study, furosemide was administered intravenously and 30 minutes later, additional images in the anterior and posterior views were obtained. RESULTS: The kidneys were evaluated into 2 groups. Group 1 comprised 12 kidneys that had an obstructive curve pattern on Tc-99m EC scans. Group 2 comprised 34 kidneys that had a nonobstructive dilated renogram curve pattern. DRF of the kidneys in each patient were calculated, and the values obtained from the standard and diuretic DMSA scans were compared with each other for all patients and each group. Considering all the patients, the values of mean DRF on both standard and diuretic DMSA images were 55.4%+/-21.2% and 55.4%+/-21.5%, respectively. There were no significant differences between DRF values of each kidney obtained by the 2 methods. When we compared the DRF values in groups 1 and 2, there were again no significant differences. In group 1, the values of mean DRF on standard and diuretic images were 51.7%+/-13.7% and 51.6%+/-13.9%, respectively, and in group 2, the values of mean DRF were 56.7%+/-23.4% and 56.7%+/-23.6%, respectively. CONCLUSION: In view of our study, diuretic administration seems to be an unnecessary intervention because it has no effect on the accuracy of DRF measurements using DMSA scintigraphy in patients with a dilated collecting system whether it is obstructed or not.     

Quantitation of renal function with technetium-99m MAG3

The technetium-labeled hippuran analog [99mTc]MAG3 was compared with [131I]hippuran in 50 patients using a quantitative renal function protocol that includes: (a) estimation of effective renal plasma flow by a single-injection, single-sample plasma clearance method, (b) determination of relative function of right and left kidney from the initial count rate over each kidney, and (c) comparison of recovered urine activity with plasma disappearance. This protocol is suitable for routine clinical use, and, in fact, has been used heavily at our clinic for a number of years. By slight modification of the formulas, the results obtained with [99mTc]MAG3 agreed well with those using [131I]hippuran. We conclude that [99mTc]MAG3 can be substituted for [131I]hippuran in the quantitative protocol, with the better image quality and lower radiation dose (in abnormals) of a technetium-labeled agent.     

Pentavalent technetium-99m DMSA uptake in pseudofractures of osteomalacia

Tc-99m MDP and Tc-99m (V) DMSA images are described from a 49-year-old woman with chronic renal insufficiency complicated by osteomalacia. Clinical, biochemical, and radiologic bone profiles were compatible with osteomalacia. Osteomalacia is a condition associated with disorders in which mineralization of the organic matrix is defective. All bone lesions visualized with Tc-99m MDP also showed increased uptake of Tc-99m (V) DMSA. Tc-99m (V) DMSA accumulation has been reported in many malignant and some benign conditions. Pseudofractures in osteomalacia could be included in the spectrum of benign lesions that accumulate Tc-99m (V) DMSA.     

Assessment of various parameters in the estimation of differential renal function using technetium-99m mercaptoacetyltriglycine

Differential renal function (DRF) is an important parameter that should be assessed from virtually every dynamic renogram. With the introduction of technetium-99m mercaptoacetyltriglycine (^99mTc-MAG3), a tracer with a high renal extraction, the estimation of DRF might hopefully become accurate and reproducible both between observers in the same institution and also between institutions. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of different parameters on the estimation of DRF. To this end we investigated two groups of children: group A, comprising 35 children with a single kidney (27 of whom had poor renal function), and group B, comprising 20 children with two kidneys and normal global function who also had an associated ^99mTc-dimercaptosuccinic acid scan (^99mTc-DMSA). The variables assessed for their effect on the estimation of DRF were: different operators, the choice of renal regions of interest (ROIs), the applied background subtraction, and six different techniques for analysis of the renogram. The six techniques were based on: linear regression of the slopes in the Rutland-Patlak plot, matrix deconvolution, differential method, integral method, linear regression of the slope of the renograms, and the area under the curve of the renogram. The estimation of DRF was less dependent upon both observer and method in patients with two normally functioning kidneys than in patients with a single kidney. The inter-observer comparison among children in either group was not dependent on either ROI or background subtraction. However, in patients with poor renal function the method of choice for the estimation of DRF was dependent on background subtraction, though not ROI. In children with two kidneys and normal renal function, the estimation of DRF from the 24 techniques gave similar results. Methods that produced DRF values closest to expected results, from either group of children, were the Rutland-Patlak plot and matrix deconvolution methods. Received 26 July and in revised form 16 October 1998     

Renal handling of technetium-99m DMSA in rats with proximal tubular dysfunction

The renal handling of technetium-99m dimercaptosuccinic acid ([99mTc]DMSA) was studied in rats before and after treatment with Na-maleate (2 mmol/kg i.v.). In the control period, when measured 2 hr after the intravenous injection of [99mTc]DMSA, 39.9% of the injected dose was in the kidneys and 14.6% was in the bladder. After Na-maleate treatment, only 6.4% of the injected dose of [99mTc]DMSA was retained in the kidneys while 37.9% was found in the bladder. Subsequent studies revealed that Na-maleate produced a fall in the glomerular filtration rate, the effective renal plasma flow, and a generalized proximal tubular dysfunction. The latter was characterized by polyuria and an increased excretion of glucose, protein, albumin, calcium, and inorganic phosphate. It was concluded that proximal tubular dysfunction markedly alters the renal handling of [99mTc]DMSA. Whether this augmented urinary excretion is due to an inhibition of reabsorption or an enhanced cellular efflux of [99mTc]DMSA remains to be answered.     

Failure to visualize acutely injured kidneys with technetium-99m DMSA does not preclude recoverable function

A 35-yr-old patient developed severe acute tubular necrosis requiring hemodialysis. A [99mTc]dimercaptosuccinic acid scan of the kidneys showed no renal uptake at 4 or 24 hr, but the patient subsequently recovered normal renal function as judged by a normal serum creatinine. Based on this case report and a review of the literature, one cannot assume irreversible loss of function in patients with acute renal failure, based on the absence of radiopharmaceutical uptake by the kidneys.     

Aluminemic disturbance of technetium-99m DTPA renal function measurement

During follow-up study of a patient with surgically corrected unilateral renal ischemia, using computer image generated [99mTc]diethylenethiaminepentaacetic acid (DTPA) glomerular filtration rate (GFR) and [131I]orthoiodohippurate estimated renal plasma flow (ERPF), we observed prominent gastric and intestinal uptake of 99mTc. Profound alteration in the GFR results, but not the ERPF results, was also observed. Radiopharmaceutical breakdown was suspected and shown to be endogenous and due to hyperaluminemia at 28 ng/ml. These case findings add DTPA to the list of 99mTc radiopharmaceuticals that have previously been reported to have altered biodistribution when hyperaluminemia is present. The case findings also reaffirm the benefits of obtaining images to corroborate the validity of quantitative data and demonstrate that quantitative radionuclide renal function data are not independent of renal chemical handling.     

Role of technetium-99m N,N-ethylenedicysteine renal scintigraphy in the evaluation of differential renal function and cortical defects

PURPOSE: This study was performed to evaluate the effectiveness of technetium-99m N,N-ethylenedicysteine (Tc-99m EC) in comparison to technetium-99m dimercaptosuccinic acid (Tc-99m DMSA) scintigraphy. Differential renal function (DRF) was calculated by both methods and the cortical-phase images of dynamic Tc-99m EC scintigraphy were evaluated for parenchymal defects. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 62 patients with various kidney disorders ranging in age from 1 to 44 years underwent both Tc-99m DMSA and Tc-99m EC scintigraphy. Tc-99m EC summed images of the cortical phase and Tc-99m DMSA images were evaluated visually and quantitatively. Visual analysis was used to define renal parenchymal abnormalities. Quantitative analysis was used in the calculation of DRF. The Tc-99m DMSA scan was taken as the gold standard, and the summed Tc-99m EC scan findings were compared against it. RESULTS: The images obtained with Tc-99m DMSA and Tc-99m EC scintigraphy revealed 99 and 97 focal defects, respectively. The 2 renal parenchyma defects located in the ventral middle sections remained undetected with Tc-99m EC scintigraphy. DRF of the kidneys in each patient was compared using both radiopharmaceuticals. Highly positive correlation between the differential function of these 2 investigations was found (R = 0.91, P = 0.001). The values of mean DRF of the left kidney on Tc-99m EC and Tc-99m DMSA images were 45.8 +/- 19.1 and 45.0 +/- 20.4, respectively. There were no significant differences (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: This study suggests that although Tc-99m DMSA scintigraphy remains the gold standard method for evaluating parenchymal abnormalities, Tc-99m EC scintigraphy can be a reliable single-modality study to evaluate renal cortical defects, DRF, perfusion, drainage of the urinary system, and indirect evidence of vesicoureteric reflux with the added advantage of low radiation exposure to the patient.     

The role of technetium-99m pentavalent DMSA in the management of patients with medullary carcinoma of the thyroid

In order to assess the role of 99Tcm pentavalent dimercaptosuccinic acid (99Tcm (V)DMSA) scanning in the management of patients with medullary carcinoma of the thyroid, we imaged 10 patients with histologically proven disease. Nine of the 10 patients were scanned after removal of the primary tumour, but with symptomatic or biochemical evidence of recurrence. One patient was imaged prior to thyroidectomy. In eight of the 10 patients 99Tcm(V)DMSA successfully identified tumour deposits, and it has been shown in this study to be a cheap, convenient radiopharmaceutical for studying this group of patients, producing high-quality images with low radiation doses, and contributing significantly to patient management.     

Quantitation of differential renal function with Tc-99m MDP

This study was designed to evaluate the usefulness of the bone tracer Tc-99m MDP for quantitative assessment of relative renal function as compared with renal imaging radiotracers used for that purpose. Differential renal function, i.e., the percent contribution each kidney makes to global renal function, was determined prospectively in 15 consecutive patients using Tc-99m MDP and a renal radionuclide tracer, either Tc-99m DTPA or Tc-99m GHA. Differential function was computed in all cases from the early (1-3 minutes) renal uptake of the tracers by region-of-interest analysis of the computer-acquired data. There was a high correlation between values of differential function obtained with Tc-99m MDP and those obtained with Tc-99m DTPA or Tc-99m GHA (r = 0.98, P less than 0.0001). Qualitative assessment of the images revealed equivalent scintigraphic patterns in all patients. It is concluded that the early characteristics of renal handling of Tc-MDP are sufficiently similar to those of Tc-DTPA and Tc-GHA so that accurate estimates of differential renal function are possible with this agent, and that Tc-MDP-determined renal differential most likely reflects differential glomerular filtration rate.     

Relative renal function with MAG-3 and DMSA in children with unilateral hydronephrosis

Aim  

Tc-99m DMSA renal cortical scan is a reference method for determining relative renal function (RRF). Tc-99m MAG-3 is also recommended for the estimation of RRF, particularly in young children. The aims of this study were to compare MAG-3 and DMSA RRF estimations and to assess the reproducibility of these estimations in children with unilateral hydronephrosis.     

Incidentally evaluating the status of renal function in technetium-99m DISIDA hepatobiliary imaging

During hepatobiliary imaging studies, approximately 9% of Tc-99m DISIDA normally is excreted via the kidney. In routine 2, 5, 10, 15, 30, 45, and 60-minute images, the kidneys and urinary bladder are best visualized at 5-10 minutes and after 10-15 minutes, respectively. Nonvisualization of the kidney and/or urinary bladder may indicate renal dysfunction. To evaluate this hypothesis, Tc-99m DISIDA hepatobiliary images of 63 patients were correlated with concurrent serum BUN and creatinine levels (measured within 24 hours of the hepatobiliary study). Serum creatinine and BUN values were normal in patients with renal visualization. In patients without renal visualization, 17 of 19 had abnormal BUN and creatinine levels. The values of BUN and creatinine were significantly elevated (P less than 0.001) in patients without renal visualization when compared with those showing renal visualization. One patient had visualization of a single kidney due to a nephrectomy; in another, persistent visualization was due to hydronephrosis. Nonvisualization of the kidneys and/or urinary bladder suggests abnormal renal function, and asymmetric renal activity raises the possibility of renal disease.     

Calculation of relative glomerular filtration rate and correlation with delayed technetium-99m DMSA imaging

The relative renal uptake of Tc-99m DMSA was compared with the relative glomerular filtration rate (GFR) in ten patients with serum creatinines ranging from 0.3 to 2.5 mg/dl. Relative GFR was based on the renal uptake of Tc-99m DTPA determined by two methods: 1) integrating the counts from 1 to 3 minutes postinjection and correcting for background. 2) Totalizing the individual renal counts in a single 15-second frame from 2:45 minutes to 3:00 minutes postinjection and correcting for background. The two methods of determining relative DTPA uptake showed excellent correlation, r = 0.98. Relative DMSA uptake determined at 24 hours post-injection using computer-assisted regions of interest showed excellent correlation with the relative GFR determined by either the integral or single-frame method, r = 0.98. The addition of background subtraction for the DMSA images at 24 hours did not improve the correlation.