Tomographic gallium-67 citrate scanning. Useful new surveillance for metastatic melanoma

Journal Article · Fri Jul 01 00:00:00 EDT 1983 · Ann. Surg.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1097/00000658-198307000-00020· OSTI ID:5128432

Kirkwood, J M; Myers, J E; Vlock, D R; Neumann, R; Ariyan, S; Gottschalk, A; Hoffer, P

Conventional gallium scans are not useful to evaluate patients with metastatic melanoma. We evaluated a new method of tomographic gallium imaging. One hundred fourteen tomographic scans were obtained in a prospective surveillance study of 67 patients over a 3-year period. Scans were evaluated and compared to findings of independent clinical evaluations. Sensitivity of gallium identification of tumor involving peripheral lymph nodes and soft tissues, abdomen, mediastinum, and osseous sites was 68% to 100%; overall sensitivity of this technique is 82% with specificity of 99% in 570 organ system assessments. Analysis of discordant findings when a site was clinically occult but gallium-positive showed gallium uptake to be true-positive in six of seven lymphatic sites, three of three lung and mediastinal sites, six of six abdominal sites, but in no brain or bone sites. Gallium lesions identified by computed tomographic scans proved to be false-positive at one lymphatic and one bone site, and false-negative at four otherwise clinically evident lymph node and soft tissue sites, seven pulmonary sites, and four brain sites. Gallium tomographic scanning provides a composite assessment of melanoma and may eliminate the need for other studies.

• Research Organization: Yale Univ. School of Medicine, New Haven, CT
• OSTI ID: 5128432
• Journal Information: Ann. Surg.; (United States), Vol. 198:1
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE
ABDOMEN
TOMOGRAPHY
BRAIN
GALLIUM 67
DIAGNOSTIC USES
LUNGS
LYMPH NODES
NEOPLASMS
DIAGNOSIS
SKELETON
CITRATES
MEDIASTINUM
MELANOMAS
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BODY
BODY AREAS
CARBOXYLIC ACID SALTS
CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM
CHEST
DAYS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
DIAGNOSTIC TECHNIQUES
DISEASES
ELECTRON CAPTURE RADIOISOTOPES
GALLIUM ISOTOPES
INTERMEDIATE MASS NUCLEI
ISOTOPES
LYMPHATIC SYSTEM
NERVOUS SYSTEM
NUCLEI
ODD-EVEN NUCLEI
ORGANS
RADIOISOTOPES
RESPIRATORY SYSTEM
USES
550601* - Medicine- Unsealed Radionuclides in Diagnostics
550602 - Medicine- External Radiation in Diagnostics- (1980-)