BACKGROUND The prevalence of thyroid nodules increases with age, average 4-7% for the U.S.A. adult population, but it is much higher (19-67%) when sub-clinical nodules are considered. About 90% of these lesions are benign and a reliable approach to their preoperative characterization is necessary. Unfortunately conventional thyroid scintigraphy does not allow the distinction among benign and ma...

BACKGROUND AND THE PURPOSE OF THE STUDY Technetium-99m is the major radionuclide used in the world and mainly is provided by fission product. However extensive research has been conducted on the use of accelerators for production of (99m)Tc. This investigation reports the production of (99m)Tc radioisotope using cyclotrons and the preparation, quality control and biodistribution studies of four...

The aim of this work was to prepare a kit of Tc-ceftizoxime (Tc-CFT), with stability and biological activity preserved, able to identify a septic focus (E. coli) in the experimental infection model in rats. The preparation of the CFT kit involved the use of lyophilized solutions containing the antibiotic ceftizoxime and the sodium dithionite reducing agent (6.0 mg/mL). After lyophilization, the...

A 64-year-old man presented with clinical unilateral thyroiditis after chronic left neck trauma from his car seat belt. Thyroid function tests were normal. The initial thyroid Tc-99m pertechnetate scan demonstrated decreased uptake in the entire left lobe of the thyroid. The follow-up scan 1 month later showed a more normal uptake in the left lobe. This patient's clinical course, laboratory val...

A 79-year-old man with melena was suspected of having small bowel bleeding because upper and lower endoscopic findings were negative. Technetium-99m-labeled red blood cell (Tc-99m-RBC) scintigraphy was performed by arterial injection of a radiotracer from the superior mesenteric artery (SMA) after angiography. Extravasation was seen in the ileum by scintigraphy although angiography was negative...

Introduction: The limited spatial resolution of the gamma camera hinders the absolute quantification of planar images of small structures. The imaged structures are affected by partial volume effects (PVEs), which can spread activity and lead to underestimation of the regional distribution.  The use of optimum planar parameters reduces the impact of the limited spatial resolution of the gamma c...

This first clinical prospective study was conducted to use of technetium-99m immunoglobulin G ((99m)Tc-IgG) as compared with autologous (99m)Tc-red blood cells (RBC) in gated blood pool ventriculography. We studied 12 patients who referred to us for a possible diagnosis of liver hemangioma or infection. Six patients underwent gated planar blood pool (GPBP) acquisition using (99m)Tc-RBC and 6 GP...

Thallium (Tl) 201 and technetium (Tc) 99m tetrofosmin single-photon emission CT are routinely used in the evaluation of coronary artery disease. Mediastinal tumors demonstrate Tl 201 and Tc 99m tetrofosmin uptake. We report a 56-year-old man who developed chest pain after a previously successful angioplasty and stent of the left anterior descending coronary artery. He underwent a Tl 201, Tc 99m...