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1 Department of Radiological Technology, School of Health Science, Kanazawa University, Kodatsuno, Kanazawa, Japan;
2 Department of Integrative Cancer Therapy and Urology, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kanazawa University, Takaramachi, Kanazawa, Japan;
3 Department of Radiology, Kanazawa University Hospital, Takaramachi, Kanazawa, Japan;
4 Department of Biotracer Medicine, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kanazawa University, Takaramachi, Kanazawa, Japan
| ABSTRACT |
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Methods: To facilitate the fusion of both SPECT and CT images, a pelvic MDCT scan was performed with 3 markers of small plastic bullets attached to the skin over the bilateral iliac crests and the ventral midline at the same height. SPECT was performed after the same locations were marked with needle caps containing 99mTc-pertechnetate. The images were superimposed by use of free software (MRIcro). The results of hot lymph node detection with fusion images were compared with those of surgery.
Results: The images could be successfully superimposed for all 11 patients examined. Surgeons accurately confirmed 27 (87.1%) of 31 regional lymph nodes on fusion images.
Conclusion: Fusion of SPECT and MDCT images is useful for the precise localization of sentinel lymph nodes in prostate cancer patients.
Key Words: fusion image; sentinel lymph node; prostate cancer; lymphoscintigraphy; CT
| INTRODUCTION |
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Although the rate of detection of an SLN is increased by the use of SPECT, it is difficult to precisely identify an SLN deeply located in an anatomic structure by means of SPECT alone. With the rapid development of endoscopic urologic surgery, lymphoscintigraphy and intraoperative
-probes have become more important for the detection of the precise localization of SLNs. On the other hand, other imaging modalities, including CT and MRI, are excellent tools for the depiction of morphologic structures. At present, CT is the method of choice for the initial noninvasive evaluation of patients with suspected malignancy. Therefore, the fusion of SPECT and CT images is expected to allow the precise localization of SLNs. A hybrid SPECT/CT system can be used for SLN mapping in patients with malignant tumors (8). Because the use of such equipment is limited, we devised a method for generating fusion SPECT and CT images without requiring such equipment and for identifying the precise anatomic site of an SLN by comparison with the results of surgery.
The purpose of this study was to investigate the feasibility of fusion of SPECT and CT images for accurate SLN localization in prostate cancer patients.
| MATERIALS AND METHODS |
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Radiologic Examination
For the detection of metastasis, a pelvic multidetector CT scan was obtained with a Light Speed Ultra 16 scanner (GE Healthcare). Before imaging, 3 small plastic bullets (
5 mm in diameter) were attached as landmarks on the skin over the bilateral iliac crests and the ventral midline at the same height (Fig. 1A). A CT scan was performed under the following conditions: tube voltage, 120 keV; the product of tube current and time, 200 mA; field of view, 35 cm; slice thickness, 5 mm, with no slice gap; detector configuration, 16 x 1.25; beam collimation, 20 mm; pitch, 0.562:1; and speed, 11.25 mm per rotation. A complete acquisition lasted approximately 13 s.
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-camera (Orbiter; Siemens Medical Solutions). The counts on the planar image were collected for 10 min in a 256 x 256 matrix with a high-resolution, low-energy parallel collimator. The energy was centered at 140 keV with a 20% window for 99mTc. SPECT images were obtained after the second planar imaging 3 h after injection with a triple-head
-camera (GCA-9300A/HG; Toshiba Medical Systems). Data acquisition was performed in a 128 x 128 matrix for 50 s each for a total of 60 frames in steps of 6° over 360° with a GMS 5500A/PI imaging system (Toshiba Medical Systems). The total acquisition time was 20 min. For data analysis, the pixel truncation method was used to exclude the effects of high levels of activity at the injection site (9). The cutoff value was 300 counts in most cases, although it was changed as necessary in some cases. The data were reconstructed by use of an iterative method based on an ordered-subset expectation maximization algorithm (3 iterations and 10 subsets) (10). No prefilter was used. The images were interpreted by 2 nuclear medicine physicians. Counts on images were not measured.
Image Fusion Technique
Free viewing software, MRIcro (11), was installed on a personal computer (PC) (FMV DESKPOWER C5/86WL; Fujitsu Ltd.) running the Windows Me operating system (Microsoft Corp.). MRIcro can create Analyze format headers for exporting images to other platforms. The CT data were entered into the PC as Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine data by use of a read-only memory compact disk, and the SPECT data were entered into the PC online by use of free software (FFFTP version 1.92; Sota Jun). The CT and SPECT data, converted to Analyze format, were superimposed on the display. We set matrix dimension, pixel size, and slice thickness for SPECT and multidetector CT images in MRIcro to adjust the images of the 2 modalities. By moving cursor lines through the landmarks on both images, we adjusted the locations of both images so that the patients body contours overlapped as correctly as possible. To obtain optimal alignment, hot spots caused by the skin markers on the SPECT images were manually overlapped with the plastic bullets on the CT images, and the prostate in the CT images and the injection site in the SPECT images were overlapped. To interpret the accurate localization of regional hot lymph nodes, fusion images were reconstructed in 3 views: axial, coronal, and sagittal slices.
Surgical Procedure
Approximately 56 h after the radionuclide study, the patients underwent endoscopic minilaparotomy because this surgical procedure is becoming standard for such patients at our institution (Fig. 2). The procedure requires only a single longitudinal excision (
5 cm long) several centimeters above the pubic bone and is therefore minimally invasive compared with conventional open surgery. A hand-held
-probe (Navigator GPS; Tyco Healthcare Japan) was used to search for deeply located hot lymph nodes, which were then excised. After the excision, the radioactivity in the excised specimens was counted with the
-probe, and the specimens were subjected to histopathologic examination. Ex vivo probing radioactivity of each lymph node counted for 10 s. The level of radioactivity in the aorta was used as the background count level. A hot lymph node was defined as a node-to-background count density ratio determined to be higher than 2 by in vivo probing and a radioactivity of greater than 10 counts per 10 s (1 cps) of ex vivo probing (12).
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| RESULTS |
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-probing. Most of the lymph nodes were smaller than 1 cm, although the dimensions were not measured in 2 patients. Radioactivity in the excised specimens ranged from 1 to 3,556 cps. Histopathologic examination revealed nodal metastasis in case 2 (Table 1).
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-probe. In this case, the discrepancy in the results occurred because the lymph node had been moved inward by manipulation during surgery.
Figures 3 and 4 show the hot left external iliac and right obturator lymph nodes, respectively. SPECT and CT images were fused successfully. Because the fusion images accurately revealed the existence of regional hot lymph nodes before surgery, these lymph nodes could be identified efficiently with the
-probe. Because histopathologic examination detected metastasis in the external lymph node in case 2, the patient received radical surgery with enlarged lymphadenectomy and hormone therapy.
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| DISCUSSION |
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In the present study, we tried to identify the SLNs in prostate cancer patients. Because intrapelvic lymph nodes may be located deeply along the blood vessels and because lymphatic drainage in this region is highly complex, it is difficult to determine the number of draining basins accurately. In addition, although the use of SPECT increases the rate of detection of hot lymph nodes, it is difficult to determine the anatomic localization of deep pelvic lymph nodes without also using other modalities. Hot lymph nodes situated superficially, as in breast cancer or skin malignant melanoma, are easily detected intraoperatively with a
-probe, but it is difficult to detect deeply situated hot lymph nodes.
Recently, Tadokoro et al. (17) introduced a new urologic surgical method called minilaparotomy or portless endoscopic urologic surgery. This method requires only a single longitudinal incision above the pubis, is less invasive than conventional laparoscopic radical prostatectomy, and moreover is much less invasive than open surgery (18). With the application of this surgical technique, preoperative detection of hot lymph nodes is becoming more feasible, because it permits the surgeon to search efficiently with the
-probe as long as fusion images provide precise anatomic localization. A hybrid SPECT/CT system can be used for SLN mapping in patients with malignant tumors (8). However, such specialized, expensive equipment is in limited use. Therefore, we investigated the feasibility of producing fusion images without the use of such equipment.
In the present study, CT was performed to search for lymph node metastases, and the data were reused with the intention of producing fusion images. This strategy is meaningful because it reduces the radiation doses to which patients must be exposed, compared to those used with a SPECT/CT system. Kretschmer et al. (1) investigated the fusion of SPECT and pelvic CT images for patients with malignant melanoma and concluded that it is an excellent tool for the precise localization of pelvic tumor-draining lymph nodes. Cense et al. (7) also reported that the combined use of CT and lymphoscintigraphy improves the precise localization of hot lymph nodes.
The scattering of
-rays makes it more difficult to identify hot lymph nodes when they lie close to the injection site. Therefore, we applied pixel truncation and the ordered-subset expectation maximization reconstruction algorithm. These techniques were useful for reducing the artifacts in scintigraphy. In the present study, the anatomic sites of hot lymph nodes detected during surgery showed excellent agreement with those detected on the fusion images. In some patients, the surgeon found 2 or more affected lymph nodes, whereas scintigraphy showed only 1 hot lymph node. In some patients, scintigraphy did not identify the hot lymph node, whereas the
-probe allowed its identification. When the nodal count was less than 10 cps, it was difficult to detect hot lymph nodes by scintigraphy; however, the
-probe could detect these nodes. The
-probe revealed the presence of at least 1 hot lymph node in each patient. In case 1, there was a discrepancy between the site of the obturator hot lymph node on the fusion image and the actual site determined during surgery because the lymph node was moved inward by manipulation during surgery. To avoid such discrepancies between the fusion image and the actual site of the regional lymph node, care should be taken to reduce the movement of intraabdominal organs, respiratory movement during CT and SPECT, and movement of the lymph node from the original site by manipulation during surgery.
The results of hot lymph node detection in the present study were satisfactory because the fusion images predicted the site accurately for 27 (87.1%) of 31 regional lymph nodes.
| CONCLUSION |
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| FOOTNOTES |
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E-mail: kizu{at}cf6.so-net.ne.jp
| REFERENCES |
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