Kesato Yano

Semiquantitative measurement of pulmonary hilar gallium-67 uptake using single photon emission computed tomography/computed tomography for the diagnosis of autoimmune pancreatitis

PurposeWe ascertained the difference in the level of pulmonary hilar (PH) gallium-67 (Ga-67) uptake in autoimmune pancreatitis (AIP) patients between the active (before corticosteroid therapy) and remittent (after 4 weeks of corticosteroid therapy) phases using a semiquantitative measurement method based on single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) with integrated low-dose computed tomography (CT).Materials and methodsGa-67 planar scans and SPECT were performed in 11 AIP patients before and after 4 weeks of corticosteroid therapy. A region of interest (ROI) was drawn over the bilateral pulmonary hilum and the liver, and average counts of the pulmonary hilum and liver were calculated. The average counts of the pulmonary hilum divided by those of the liver gave the pulmonary hilum/liver ratio (H/L).ResultsA significant difference was observed in the H/L between active and remittent phases. H/L in the active phase was 1.03 ± 0.32 and that in the remittent phase was 0.58 ± 0.25 (t-test, P = 0.0016).ConclusionsPH Ga-67 uptake in patients with active AIP was semiquantitatively higher than that in those with remittent AIP. Hence, this may be a useful finding for an early diagnosis, estimating the effectiveness of corticosteroid therapy, and following up patients with this disease.

Imaging of the Bronchial Blood Flow Using RI-Angiography

99mTCO4-の静注によるRI-アンジオグラフィを実施し, 気管支動脈血流成分の描出の可能性につき検討した。肺がん, 肺化膿症, 慢性気管支炎でそのイメージが認められ, さらに本法に腫瘍シンチ, 肺血流シンチを同時に併用し, 後二者の線図形化した画像をRI-アンジオグラムの画像に重ね合わせる方法などを検討した結果, 肺疾患の病態を知るうえで有用な検査法であることが認められた。あわせて本法の問題点についても検討した。