Abstract.
Several years ago technetium-99m tetrofosmin was reported to localise parathyroid adenomas. The aim of this study was to compare the sensitivity of this radiopharmaceutical with that of 99mTc-sestamibi using a double-phase parathyroid scintigraphy protocol. Scans of 12 patients were evaluated visually and lesion to thyroid ratios were calculated. Nine of the patients were subsequently operated on; a total of eight parathyroid adenomas or hyperplastic glands were histologically confirmed in seven of the patients, while in one patient a parathyroid carcinoma was histologically proven. All of these patients had positive 99mTc-sestamibi scintigrams, whereas only two 99mTc-tetrofosmin scintigrams were positive. With 99mTc-sestamibi there was a significant increase in the lesion to thyroid ratio from 10 min to 90 min and 150 min p.i. which was not seen on scintigraphy with 99mTc-tetrofosmin. This makes 99mTc-tetrofosmin less suitable for double-phase parathyroid scintigraphy.
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Fröberg, A.C., Valkema, R., Bonjer, J.H. et al. 99mTc-tetrofosmin or 99mTc-sestamibi for double-phase parathyroid scintigraphy?. Eur J Nucl Med 30, 193–196 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00259-002-1030-z
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00259-002-1030-z