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Tc-99m-labeled human polyclonal immunoglobulin G (HIG) scintigraphy in Sjögren's syndrome
Georgios Karanikas1, Klaus Bobacz, Alexander Becherer
1Department of Nuclear Medicine, University of Vienna, Austria. georg.karanikas@akh-wien.ac.at
Objective:
To evaluate the usefulness of Tc-99m-HIG scintigraphy in patients with Sjögren's syndrome.
Methods:
Twelve consecutive patients with verified secondary Sjögren's syndrome were included in this prospective study. The control group consisted of seven patients with Lupus erythematosus; none of them showed clinical signs of Sjögren's syndrome. Planar and SPECT images of the head were performed six hours after i.v. administration of Tc-99m HIG.
Results:
Eleven out of twelve patients with secondary Sjögren's syndrome showed a positive result, while one was false negative. Tracer accumulation in patients with positive scintigraphy varied. All patients of the control group were negative.
Conclusion:
Our data in a limited number of patients suggest that Tc-99m HIG scintigraphy could be a modality with high sensitivity and specificity for the diagnosis of Sjögren's syndrome and can provide objective information on the severity of the disease.