PubMed · 7375946
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E E Kim. 1980. Diffuse pulmonary gallium concentration.. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0001-2998(80)80033-x
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Whole-body gallium planar scintigraphy is a mainstay for the detection of tumors and inflammatory lesions. Recently, gallium SPECT (single photon emission computed tomography) has become more common in the clinical setting. This diagnostic modality is widely employed in our hospital, and lesions are actually detected by SPECT in some cases. Although the contrast of SPECT images is better than that of planar images, spatial resolution is limited by the limited matrix size. Thus, the overall diagnostic utility of SPECT remains to be confirmed. The usefulness of SPECT for the detection of gallium-accumulated lesions was evaluated in a phantom. In this study, we showed that SPECT is able to detect more smaller and lower gallium accumulations than planar imaging. Thus, SPECT imaging is useful in gallium scintigraphy.
Nuclear medicine imaging techniques allow us to peer into physiologic processes, avoiding the need to wait until anatomic changes are detectable, and allowing for prompt, informed management decisions. Recognition of normal, abnormal, and post-therapy scan patterns is critical to achieve the necessary sensitivity and specificity needed for patient management. Gallium scintigraphy using updated techniques has an important continuing role in management of patients with lymphoma. Gallium scintigraphy can contribute to patient management primarily by detecting residual disease or relapse after treatment, monitoring response during therapy, and providing prognostic information. FDG and PET cameras, especially dedicated ring systems, offer high resolution and high-contrast images, thereby demonstrating additional sites of disease. Although preliminary evidence looks promising that FDG can provide all information that Ga-67 has been shown to do in the past, additional data are required. Further studies will show whether FDG-PET can provide prognostic information and predict disease-free and overall survival, the availability of both FDG and PET scanners, and issues of cost. Patient accessibility will undoubtedly also play a role in when, or whether, FDG-PET will totally replace Ga-67 scintigraphy in the management of patients with lymphoma.