Three-phase radionuclide scintigraphy of the hand

Three-phase radionuclide scintigraphy of the hand was performed on 116 patients. Normal and abnormal patterns for radionuclide angiography, immediate post-injection blood-pool images, and delayed scans (3-4 hr.) were established. Of 80 patients with normal circulation, 61 (76%) had equal radial and ulnar artery flow bilaterally, while in 19 (24%) either the radial or ulnar artery was dominant. Abnormal studies were grouped into three categories: suspected vascular lesions (Group I), pain of uncertain etiology (Group II), and patients evaluated before and after reconstructive surgery (Group III). The diagnosis was correct in 89% of the patients in Group I (34/38), 89% of those in Group II (57/64), and all of those in Group III (14/14). Three-phase scintigraphy of the hand yields significant information about perfusion and bone metabolism.     

Effects of surgery on the cell kinetics of residual tumor.

Noncurative excision of a primary sc Lewis lung tumor performed on Day 7 or later results in an increase in the thymidine index and growth rate with minimal changes in the cell cycle parameters of the lung metastases. The stimulation of the lung nodules is accompanied by a small but consistent decrease in median lifespan. Sham surgery performed on Day 3 or later also results in a decrease in median lifespan and an increase in the thymidine index of the undisturbed primary tumor. Artifical metastases (10(6) cells iv) are inhibited by the presence of a second (sc) implant and the median lifespan of the doubly implanted mice exceeds that of mice bearing iv implants only. In mice bearing widely metastasized Lewis lung carcinoma, surgery alone may have a detrimental effect on life expectancy, but the residual tumor foci, stimulated to more rapid growth, should be appropriate targets for adjuvant chemotherapy.     

Infection in diabetic osteoarthropathy: use of indium-labeled leukocytes for diagnosis

Indium-111 labeled leukocyte imaging was compared with three-phase skeletal scintigraphy as a means of determining whether osteomyelitis was complicating diabetic osteoarthropathy. Three-phase scintigraphy demonstrated increased activity in both infected and noninfected osteopathic bone, with a sensitivity of 75% and a specificity of 56% for osteomyelitis. Leukocyte imaging had the same sensitivity but was most helpful for excluding infection (specificity, 89%) when three-phase imaging could not. Abnormal leukocyte localization was seen at the primary site of infection in all cases within 4 hours after injection. Disadvantages of leukocyte imaging included long preparation time, low count rates resulting in poor spatial resolution, and absence of bone landmarks, which made it difficult to differentiate soft tissue from bone infection.     

Spermatic vein embolization with hot contrast material: fertility results

Spermatic venography with hot contrast material embolization was undertaken in 81 patients with varicoceles and infertility. Long-term follow-up information was available in 91% of the patients, and there was an overall conception rate of 40.5%. Embolization with hot contrast material was easily performed without special embolization devices and proved to be a safe and effective technique.