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Renal technetium-99m-DMSA SPECT in normal volunteers
C De Sadeleer1, A Bossuyt, E Goes
1Department of Nuclear Medicine, Brussels, Belgium.
Summary
SPECT imaging of normal kidneys using dimercaptosuccinic acid (DMSA) revealed unexpected upper pole hypoactivity and focal defects. These findings are crucial for accurately interpreting DMSA scans in patients with potential renal conditions.
Area of Science:
- Nuclear Medicine
- Radiology
- Urology
Background:
- Dimercaptosuccinic acid (DMSA) renal scintigraphy is a key diagnostic tool for detecting renal cortical abnormalities.
- Single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) may enhance lesion detection compared to planar imaging.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate normal kidney appearance using different SPECT modalities with DMSA.
- To establish baseline findings for interpreting DMSA scans.
Main Methods:
- Ten healthy volunteers underwent planar and SPECT DMSA imaging 2-4 hours post-injection of 99mTc-DMSA.
- SPECT data analysis focused on cortical uptake homogeneity and focal defects.
Main Results:
- Planar DMSA images showed no abnormalities.
- SPECT revealed upper pole hypoactivity in seven kidneys (up to 35% difference).
- Three focal cortical defects were visualized on SPECT, not seen on planar images.
Conclusions:
- SPECT imaging can reveal 'normal' variations in DMSA uptake, such as upper pole hypoactivity.
- These findings are essential for accurate diagnosis and to avoid misinterpreting normal variations as pathology in renal DMSA scans.