Radionuclide Diagnosis Research Articles

Radionuclide Imaging of Splenic Laceration and Trauma

Tc-99m colloids are the pharmaceuticals preferred in the radionuclide diagnosis of splenic rupture. Spleen scintigraphy is also the preferred diagnostic method. It is rapid, safe, and reliable and should be recommended in all clinical situation where diagnosis is in doubt. A most important point is its value in following the healing of a splenic rupture managed nonoperatively or by suturing or resection, treatment modalities which are increasingly used at the present time.

Left ventricular false aneurysm after coronary bypass surgery: Radionuclide diagnosis and surgical resection

A patient with left ventricular pseudoaneurysm formation resulting from myocardial infarction 4 years after coronary bypass surgery is described. The pseudoaneurysm was diagnosed with gated cardiac blood pool imaging and was subsequently successfully surgically repaired. Postoperative pericardial abnormalities predisposing to the possible development of a false aneurysm are discussed. Also, clinical situations in which pseudoaneurysm should be suspected are described, and appropriate diagnostic approaches are outlined.

Why Wasn't Radionuclide Diagnosis of Bleeding Meckel's Diverticulum Mentioned?

The article on pediatric nuclear medicine by the Committee on Radiology of the American Academy of Pediatrics (Pediatrics 58:459, September 1976) had as its intention to update "the expanding role that radionuclide techniques have in the management of pediatric patients." It also noted the ideal properties of technetium 99m for imaging. It did not, however, include any mention of its use in the preoperative diagnosis of bleeding Meckel's diverticulum in children. Rectal bleeding in children due to Meckel's diverticulum is not uncommon, it is often massive, and the failure of standard techniques to make this diagnosis is well known.

A comparison of gray scale ultrasound and radionuclide imaging for the detection of focal hepatic lesions: Open shutter technique

A conventional B scan ultrasound unit was modified by the addition of a specially built logarithmic amplifier and a high resolution nonstorage oscilloscope, as suggested by Taylor and Carpenter. One hundred five consecutive patients submitted for radionuclide imaging of the liver were examined with ultrasound using a standardized scanning system. The ultrasound technique produced scans that were technically poor or inadequate in 37 per cent of the patients studied. In the studies in which there has been confirmation, the ultrasound diagnosis was accurate in 73 per cent and the radionuclide diagnosis was correct in 83 per cent. The combined accuracy of the two studies was 93 per cent. In 11 patients, ultrasound more clearly defined the lesions that were demonstrated by both techniques or demonstrated the nature of suspicious or equivocal areas on the radionuclide images. In 48 patients, the radionuclide scan imaged the liver more completely or demonstrated lesions more clearly than did the ultrasound examination. This specific approach to ultrasound gray scale imaging appears to be a valuable supplemental tool to radionuclide imaging, but at its present stage of development cannot replace it as a routine screening technique for hepatic disease.

Radionuclide diagnosis in chest disease resulting from trauma

Nuclear medicine procedures can be used effectively to assess abnormalities of the chest following thoracic or nonthoracic trauma. The most significant applications include studies of ventilation and perfusion in blunt chest trauma and burns, thromboembolism, and fat embolism syndrome. The evaluation of subtle fractures, pleural and pericardial fluid collections, mediastinal masses, and radiation damage by radionuclidic techniques is also useful. Considerable research will be required to ultimately define the role of nuclear medical procedures in the diagnosis of thoracic abnormalities in trauma.

Intravenous radionuclide angiography in the diagnosis of trauma

Radionuclide diagnosis of trauma to organs usually incorporates a target-specific radiopharmaceutical and static imaging in multiple projections. Intravenous radio-nuclide angiography as an adjunct to static organ imaging is generally not helpful, but on occasion some useful additional information may be derived. Investigation of the large arteries and veins by intravenous radionuclide angiography, on the other hand, is a fairly accurate and innocuous modality for disclosing the results of trauma to the major vessels. This review attempts to show by a series of case reports the scope and kind of information that might be obtained.

Autoradiography with Polaroid Film

Summary Informative autoradiograms can be obtained by applying Polaroid photographic films to tissue slices from patients given radionuclides for diagnosis or treatment. However, conventional X-ray films are more sensitive for this purpose, and are preferred if facilities are available.

Usefulness of radionuclides in evaluation of stomach disorders

The use of radionuclides in diagnosis of stomach disorders has been hampered by the structural characteristics, physiology, and location of the stomach. Nevertheless, efforts have been continued in the area of diagnosis of functional and organic disorders of the stomach. Animal experiments have contributed to the understanding of the distribution of radionuclides in the gastric juice and stomach wall, especially in the mucosa. The information gained has been applied clinically to improve visualization techniques, such as gastroscanning and scintigraphy, and to improve the choice of radiopharmaceutical to be used. A short review of scanning methods is given below, and some of our own experience with scanning and scintigraphy is included. Our experience has led us to believe that radionuclide gastric diagnosis is a useful aid to the clinician, and this is good reason to believe that scintigraphy may be applied as a screening technique for diagnosis of carcinoma in areas and age groups of high incidence.

Usefulness of radionuclides in evaluation of stomach disorders

The use of radionuclides in diagnosis of stomach disorders has been hampered by the structural characteristics, physiology, and location of the stomach. Nevertheless, efforts have been continued in the area of diagnosis of functional and organic disorders of the stomach. Animal experiments have contributed to the understanding of the distribution of radionuclides in the gastric juice and stomach wall, especially in the mucosa. The information gained has been applied clinically to improve visualization techniques, such as gastroscanning and scintigraphy, and to improve the choice of radiopharmaceutical to be used. A short review of scanning methods is given below, and some of our own experience with scanning and scintigraphy is included. Our experience has led us to believe that radionuclide gastric diagnosis is a useful aid to the clinician, and this is good reason to believe that scintigraphy may be applied as a screening technique for diagnosis of carcinoma in areas and age groups of high incidence.