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Thallium-201/technetium-99m-phytate (colloid) subtraction imaging of hepatocellular carcinoma
T Mochizuki1, T Takechi, K Murase
1Department of Radiology Imabari Ehime Hospital, Ehime University School of Medicine, Japan.
Unlabelled:
This paper evaluates the clinical usefulness of 201Tl to image hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), using 201Tl, 99mTc-phytate (colloid) and a three-headed SPECT camera.
Methods:
The tumor-to-nontumor ratios (T/N) of 201Tl for different categories of HCC were generated. Tumors were emphasized by image subtraction (201Tl-99mTc-colloid). Thirty-three lesions in 16 patients (18 studies) with HCC were evaluated. There were 19 untreated nodular, five untreated diffuse, five local recurrent and four necrotic lesions after interventional therapy.
Results:
The mean T/N were as follows: untreated nodular 1.54 +/- 0.31 (mean +/- s.d.), untreated diffuse 1.28 +/- 0.26, local recurrence 1.50 +/- 0.29 and necrosis 0.22 +/- 0.06. All the tumors (except necrotic areas) were enhanced by the image subtraction.
Conclusion:
Thallium-201 is useful for liver tumor imaging but 99mTc-phytate (colloid) is essential to discriminate 201Tl tumor uptake from normal liver accumulation. Image subtraction (201Tl/99mTc-colloid) is helpful in detecting HCC.