Mariana da Cunha Lopes de Lima

Scintigraphic follow-up of the effects of therapy with hydroxyurea on splenic function in patients with sickle cell disease

Abstract. Patients with sickle cell disease (SCD) may develop functional asplenia as a chronic complication, secondary to repeated episodes of polymerisation of haemoglobin S. It is known that increased plasma concentrations of fetal haemoglobin (HbF) reduce the polymerisation of haemoglobin S. Hydroxyurea is a chemotherapeutic agent capable of increasing HbF levels in the red blood cells and its use has recently been proposed in the treatment of SCD. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of long-term therapy with hydroxyurea on recovery of splenic function. Twenty-one patients (aged 3–22 years; 14 with SS haemoglobinopathy, 7 with Sβ0 haemoglobinopathy) were studied with liver/spleen scintigraphy before and after 6 and 12 months of treatment. All studies were submitted to visual inspection and semi-quantitative analyses using spleen/liver ratios. Imaging prior to treatment demonstrated functional asplenia in nine SS patients and one Sβ0 patient and impaired splenic function in five SS patients and six Sβ0 patients. After treatment, splenic function improved in ten patients, remained unchanged in eight and worsened in three . Using liver/spleen imaging, it was possible to demonstrate that hydroxyurea is capable of improving splenic function in some SCD patients. Improvement is not always possible and frequently does not lead to a normal splenic function even after 1 year of treatment.

Treatment of bone pain secondary to metastases using samarium-153-EDTMP

CONTEXT More than 50% of patients with prostate, breast or lung cancer will develop painful bone metastases. The purpose of treating bone metastases is to relieve pain, reduce the use of steroids and to maintain motion. OBJECTIVE To evaluate the use of samarium-153-EDTMP (153Sm-EDTMP) for the treatment of bone pain secondary to metastases that is refractory to clinical management. TYPE OF STUDY Retrospective. SETTING Division of Nuclear Medicine, Universidade Estadual de Campinas (Unicamp). METHODS Fifty-eight patients were studied (34 males) with mean age 62 years; 31 patients had prostate cancer, 20 had breast cancer, three had lung cancer, one had lung hemangioendothelioma, one had parathyroid adenocarcinoma, one had osteosarcoma and one had an unknown primary tumor. All patients had multiple bone metastases demonstrated by bone scintigraphy using 99mTc-MDP,and were treated with 153Sm-EDTMP. Response to treatment was graded as good (pain reduction of 50-100%), intermediate (25-49%) and poor (0-24%). RESULTS All patients showed good uptake of 153Sm-EDTMP by bone metastases. Among the patients with prostate cancer, intermediate or good response to therapy occurred in 80.6% (25 patients) and poor response in 19.4% (6). Among the patients with breast cancer, 85% (17) showed intermediate or good response to therapy while 15% (3) showed poor response. All three patients with lung cancer showed poor response to treatment. The lung hemangioendothelioma and unknown primary lesion patients showed intermediate response to treatment; the osteosarcoma and parathyroid adenocarcinoma patients showed good response to treatment. No significant myelotoxicity occurred. DISCUSSION Pain control is important for improving the quality of life of patients with advanced cancers. The mechanism by which pain is relieved with the use of radionuclides is still not yet completely understood, however, the treatment is simple and provides a low risk of mielotoxicity. CONCLUSION Treatment with 153Sm-EDTMP can control the pain secondary to bone metastases effectively in most patients with breast and prostate cancer without significant side effects.

51Cr-EDTA measurements of the glomerular filtration rate in patients with sickle cell anaemia and minor renal damage.

Background Creatinine clearance has been reported to be inaccurate for the estimation of glomerular filtration rate (GFR) in patients with sickle cell anaemia (SCA). Inulin clearance, the reference method for GFR estimation, is impractical for routine use in these patients, and 51Cr-EDTA measurements of the GFR have been rarely reported in this disease. Methods In order to obtain reference 51Cr-EDTA values in this disease, we studied 70 patients (40 females; 13–59 years of age, mean: 31.6 years) with homozygous SCA, normal serum creatinine and urinary albumin excretion <or=200 μg·min−1. All patients were submitted to single-injection 51Cr-EDTA GFR, urinary albumin and haematocrit measurements. 51Cr-EDTA clearances were calculated in different age groups (<20, 20–29, 30–39, 40–49 and>50 years). Results The mean GFR (±standard deviation) obtained for the 70 patients was 111.5±23.1 ml·min−1. Analysis of variance for evaluation of the possible interaction effect between 51Cr-EDTA clearance and sex, age, urinary albumin and haematocrit demonstrated patient age as the only factor influencing 51Cr-EDTA clearance (P<0.001). The Spearman correlation coefficient showed a significant relationship between 51Cr-EDTA clearance and patient age (r=−0.44, P=0.0001), but not between 51Cr-EDTA and urinary albumin (r=−0.17, P=0.1546) or haematocrit (r=0.079, P=0.5121). The group aged 20–29 years presented the highest 51Cr-EDTA clearance mean value (126.7±20.4 ml·min−1), with a progressive reduction in the older groups. Conclusion Young adults with homozygous SCA, normal serum creatinine and micro-albuminuria or normo-albuminuria present supranormal 51Cr-EDTA GFR values. These values rapidly decrease after 30 years of age. We did not find association between urinary albumin and GFR in these patients.

Activation of the growth plates on three-phase bone scintigraphy: the explanation for the overgrowth of fractured femurs

Abstract. Children with an uncomplicated femoral fracture, treated with superimposition of fragments and intentional shortening, usually develop overgrowth of the fractured femur and the ipsilateral tibia which may compensate for the initial shortening and enable the limb in question to reach a length similar to that on the normal side. The overgrowth is evaluated clinically and by scanography. The increased metabolic activity of the growth plates that support this overgrowth has not been documented by any laboratory method.In order to evaluate the metabolic activity of the growth plates, 18 patients (11 males, seven females; mean age 6.1 years) with fractures of the femur were studied at three different time intervals (2–5 months, 6–12 months and 18–24 months). Three-phase bone scintigraphy was performed in all patients. Ten children (five males, five females; mean age 7.5 years) who had had bone imaging for other reasons were used as the control group. Visual analysis of the flow and equilibrium phases was performed for the distal femoral and proximal tibial growth plates. Visual and semi-quantitative analyses of the delayed images were performed for the distal femoral and proximal and distal tibial growth plates. Semi-quantitative analyses yielded the following activity ratios: (a) the distal femoral growth plate of the fractured femur to the contralateral one (FR); (b) the proximal growth plate of the tibia on the side of the fractured femur to the contralateral one (TpR); (c) the distal growth plate of the tibia on the side of the fractured femur to the contralateral one (TdR); and (d) in the control group, the distal growth plates of both femora (FCG) and the proximal (TCGp) and distal (TCGd) growth plates of the tibiae. Visual analysis of the blood flow, equilibrium and delayed images showed increased activity in the distal femoral growth plates during the first and second time intervals, but not during the third. No significant activity changes were found in the proximal and distal tibial growth plates during any of the phases analysed. The mean and standard deviation for FR in the three time intervals were: FRI=1.22±0.27, FRII=1.17±0.16 and FRIII=1.09±0.20. FR values were significantly higher than in the control group (FCG=0.99±0.03) (P=0.033). The mean and standard deviation for TpR in the three time intervals were: TpRI=1.08±0.18, TpRII=0.94±0.09 and TpRIII=0.96±0.20. TpR values were not significantly different from those in the control group (TCGp=1.00±0.05). However, TpRI was significantly higher than TpRII (P=0.043). The mean and standard deviation for TdR in the three time intervals were: TdRI=1.10±0.41, TdRII=1.05±0.15 and TdRIII=1.13±0.36. TdR values were not significantly higher than in the control group (TCGd=1.00±0.04) (P=0.777). These results support the concept that three-phase bone imaging is able to quantify and determine that activation occurs in the distal femoral and proximal tibial growth plates of fractured femora. This phenomenon may explain the overgrowth observed in this injured bone structure.

Brain SPECT imaging in Huntington's disease before and after therapy with olanzapine: case report

Olanzapine, an atypical antipsychotic drug, was administered to a patient with Huntingtons disease (HD) with marked choreiform movements. Brain SPECT with 99mTc-HMPAO was performed before and after treatment. Brain SPECT imaging has been performed in patients with HD in order to determine the status of basal ganglia perfusion. The use of brain SPECT with 99mTc-HMPAO before and after treatment in patients with HD has not been yet reported. The marked hypoperfusion of the basal ganglia on brain SPECT performed before therapy with olanzapine improved significantly after treatment.

Radioguided surgery using intravenous 99mTc sestamibi associated with breast magnetic resonance imaging for guidance of breast cancer resection.

Abstract:  The purpose of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of surgery radioguided with intravenous 99mTc sestamibi associated with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the breast to detect tumor extent and guide complete tumor resection. A descriptive experimental study was developed with 10 breast cancer patients (stage IIA–IIB) who underwent mastectomy. From 2 to 10 days before surgery, the patients underwent breast MRI with 0.1 mmol/kg of gadolinium and scintimammography with a 740 MBq of 99mTc sestamibi. A region of interest was drawn around the tumor image and an uptake curve as a function of time was plotted to calculate the optimal time to perform radioguided surgery. In the perioperative period, the same dose of 99mTc sestamibi was intravenously injected into the patients. Tumor resection was performed under the guidance of a gamma probe. MRI was used to evaluate the skin and deep fascia involvement and to detect occult tumor foci which were also excised. Subsequently a modified radical mastectomy was performed. Tumor and residual breast were histopathologically examined. In a series of 10 women, all demonstrated 99mTc sestamibi uptake in tumor cells. Eight patients showed no disease in the residual breast, one presented with one foci of invasive ductal carcinoma measuring 0.5 cm in diameter located 5 cm from the tumor bed, and one presented with one foci of ductal carcinoma in situ measuring 0.8 cm at the resection margin. The mean tumor size in the histopathologic assessment was 3.3 cm and in MRI was 5.0 cm. Radioguided surgery using 99mTc sestamibi associated with MRI is a feasible technique that can be employed in tumor resection.

Cumulative doses of radioiodine in the treatment of differentiated thyroid carcinoma: knowing when to stop

OBJECTIVE Evaluate the efficacy of cumulative doses (CDs) of 131I-iodide therapy (RIT) in differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC). SUBJECTS AND METHODS The probability of progressive disease according to CDs was evaluated in patients < 45 years old and > 45 years old and correlated to tumor-node-metastasis (TNM), thyroglobulin values, histological types and variants, age, and zduration of the disease. RESULTS At the end of a follow-up period of 69 ± 56 months, 85 out of 150 DTC patients submitted to fixed doses RIT had no evidence of disease, 47 had stable disease and 18 had progressive disease. Higher CDs were used in the more aggressive variants (p < 0.0001), higher TNM stages (p < 0.0001), and follicular carcinomas (p = 0.0034). Probability of disease progression was higher with CDs > 600 mCi in patients > 45 years old and with CDs > 800 mCi in patients < 45 years. CONCLUSION Although some patients may still respond to high CDs, the impact of further RIT should be carefully evaluated and other treatment strategies may be warranted.

Detection of synchronous carcinomas of the colon with F-18 fluorodeoxyglucose: a case report.

Colon and rectal carcinomas are common in North America and Northwestern Europe. In South America, the risk of this disease is not as great. Adenocarcinomas are the most common types of tumors, and they occur mainly in the descending colon, sigmoid, and rectum. A patient with a possible right colon carcinoma was examined using F-18 FDG.

Gallium-67 imaging in a patient with paracoccidioidomycosis: a case report

A 26 year-old female was admitted with abdominal pain, fever and weight loss. The clinical and laboratory investigations led to the diagnosis of paracoccidioidomycosis. Gallium-67 whole body images correlated well with the clinical course of the disease and with the patients prognosis.

Tc-99m MDP uptake in uterine leiomyoma.

A 47-year-old woman with adenocarcinoma of the right breast had bone scintigraphy with Tc-99m MDP. Bone imaging did not show any metastases. However, a large area of increased tracer uptake was seen extending from the abdomen to the pelvis. Abdominal ultrasound revealed a large solid and heterogeneous mass, measuring 18 x 11 x 14.3 cm, that originated in an empty uterus. A biopsy of the surgical specimen showed a leiomyoma of the uterus.