Clinical nuclear medicine
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Clinical nuclear medicine · Jan 2005
Clinical Trial Controlled Clinical TrialLymphatic drainage patterns on early versus delayed breast lymphoscintigraphy performed after injection of filtered Tc-99m sulfur colloid in breast cancer patients undergoing sentinel lymph node biopsy.
The axillary lymph node status is the most important predictor of prognosis and aids in breast cancer treatment planning. Patients with breast cancer now frequently undergo sentinel lymph node (SLN) biopsy rather than axillary lymph node dissection to determine the status of the regional lymph nodes. However, the optimal timing of radionuclide injection relative to the timing of SLN biopsy remains controversial. ⋯ SLN biopsy was performed, followed by completion axillary lymph node dissection and planned breast surgery. In each patient the patterns of distribution of the radionuclide in the lymph nodes were the same on early and delayed lymphoscintigrams. These findings, that the distributions of radionuclide in lymph nodes are identical on early and delayed images obtained after injection of filtered Tc-99m sulfur colloid, suggest that performing SLN biopsy on the day after injection does not diminish the accuracy of the technique in predicting the potential site of metastasis in the regional lymph nodes in patients undergoing this procedure for breast cancer.
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Clinical nuclear medicine · Dec 2004
Case ReportsF-18 FDG PET/CT in acute respiratory distress syndrome: a case report.
F-18 FDG PET/CT has become a useful technique in the evaluation of pulmonary lesions. We present a case of markedly increased and diffuse pulmonary F-18 FDG activity in a patient with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). High rates of glucose utilization by the inflammatory cells involved in the pathogenesis of ARDS might explain the increased pulmonary F-18 FDG uptake we observed. In the proper clinical setting, ARDS should be considered in the differential diagnosis of patients with diffusely increased F-18 FDG activity in the lungs.
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Clinical nuclear medicine · Sep 2004
Comparative Study Clinical TrialIs corticosteroid coinjection necessary for radiosynoviorthesis of patients with hemophilia?
Radiation synovectomy is frequently combined with intraarticular corticosteroid injection in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis to reduce local inflammation and lymphatic clearance of radiocolloid. However, this practice is not universally accepted because corticosteroids have local and systemic toxicity such as osteonecrosis and cartilage damage and whether simultaneous corticosteroid injection together with radiocolloids is necessary in other forms of chronic synovitis like patients with hemophilia remains to be determined. ⋯ We concluded that in cases of appropriate particle size and strict immobilization of knee joints, leakage of radiocolloid was minimal and steroid coinjection might not be necessary for radiosynoviorthesis of patients with hemophilia with chronic knee synovitis.