Value of gallium scanning in seminoma of the testis

Whole-body scanning using gallium-67-citrate gave consistently accurate tumour localisation in patients with seminoma of the testis. Thirteen out of 15 scans performed in patients with disseminated seminoma in relapse gave good imaging in all disease areas. Scans in patients with teratoma of the testis were less consistently positive; of nine scans performed in patients with disseminated teratoma seven were entirely negative and two scans lightly imaged large disease masses in two patients. In eight patients with combined (seminoma and teratoma) tumours the scan seemed to reflect the dominant tumour type at the time of scanning. In one of these patients the scans changed from positive to negative, being positive when seminoma was the dominant tumour and negative when a teratoma developed. Gallium-67-citrate scanning is useful in managing seminoma of the testis, both for determining the extent of disease present at initial presentation and for routine follow-up. It may be useful in the differential diagnosis of combined tumours when tumour masses are greater than 2 cm in diameter.