Value of gallium-67 scanning in differentiation of malignant tumors from benign tumors or inflammatory disease in the oral and maxillofacial region

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of gallium-67 ((67)Ga) scanning in the differentiation of malignant tumors from benign tumors or inflammatory disease in the oral and maxillofacial region.Study design Fifty-two patients with tumors or inflammation in the oral and maxillofacial region underwent (67)Ga scanning. The results were compared with the final pathologic diagnosis. RESULTS: The gallium-67 scanning images for 20 of 21 patients who had malignant tumors were positive (95.23%); images for 3 out of 20 patients who had benign tumors also were positive (15%). There was a significant difference between malignant and benign tumors (P <.001). Images for 2 of 11 patients with chronic inflammatory lesions were positive (18.2%), but, unlike the images of malignant tumors, the image outlines of the inflammatory lesions were indistinct and larger than the actual lesions. CONCLUSION: (67)Ga scanning is a useful adjunct tool for differentiation of malignant tumors from benign tumors or inflammatory disease in the oral and maxillofacial region.