Ralph S. Wolfstein

Reliability of Gallium Brain Scanning in the Detection and Differentiation of Central Nervous System Lesions

Both 99mTc-pertechnetate and 67Ga-citrate brain scans were performed in 93 patients with cerebral neoplasms and in 70 others with cerebral infarction or hemorrhage. Tumor detection was clearly better with 67Ga(96%) than with 99mTc(85%). Cerebral infarctions consistently either failed to concentrate 67Ga(67%) of revealed a much lower concentration than the 99mTc study (27%). In 6% of the infarction patients, gallium and technetium scans were equivalent.

Critical Evaluation of 99mTc Glucoheptonate as a Brain Imaging Agent

99mTc glucoheptonate was used as a brain imaging agent in a consecutive series of 859 patients. Sensitivity was 94% in patients with proved CNS tumors. Static imaging of patients with infarction showed a sensitivity of 62%. When the perfusion study was included, this valve increased to 90%. Overall sensitivity was 83%, specificity 99%, and accuracy 95% without inclusion of perfusion results. When these results were included, overall sensitivity was 93%, specificity 99%, and accuracy 98%.