Radiation exposure of the lungs after endolymphatic therapy. III. Dosimetric distribution study on lungs of rabbits after endolymphatic therapy

Journal Article · Mon Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1973 · Strahlentherapie, v. 145, no. 6, pp. 644-651

OSTI ID:4436269

Stauch, G W; Makoski, H B; Magnus, L; Heissen, E

Under endolymphatic therapy, fat embolism in the lung occurs relatively often due to radioactive Lipiodol. In man, the average radiation exposure of the lungs amounts to 164 to 830 rd and does not cause particular radiation damage, as far as could be observed until now. As in general only the average pulmonary dose can be specified, the fine distribution of the activity in the lungs of rabbits was tested autoradiographically after endolymphatic radionuclide therapy. This is necessary because considerable dose inhomogeneities after a slow intravenous injection have to be taken into account. The speed of injection was found to cause no significant differences of the activity in the lung. The radiation exposure of the individual pulmonary lobes showed a difference by a factor 2 to 3: the peak dose was found either in the upper, middle, or lower lobe. The fine distribution of the dose in the lung parenchyma was also considerably irregular, with peak doses of about the double of the average pulmonary dose. Besides the pulmonary radiation exposure caused by the fat embolism, an enhanced enrichment of the radioactive substance in the visceral pleura as well as in the bronchial wall was formed. Therefore, after endolymphatic radionuclide therapy in man, pulmonary doses reaching values that usually are applied to tumors, although in closely limited areas, are to be expected. If, therefore, an integral dose of 1,000 rd is measured in the lungs, in some pulmonary areas peak doses of 4,000 to 6,000 rd can be reached. Such pulmonary doses are not at all rare and must be taken into consideration when additional percutaneous irradiations of the lung or the mediastinum are given. Such doses may represent a contraindication for further radiation exposures of the lungs. Therefore, in the treatment of system diseases of the lymph nodes, the radiation exposure of the lung after endolymphatic radionuclide therapy should be kept extremely low, otherwise further radiotherapeutic measures will be hindered. (GE)

• Research Organization: Univ. Bochum, Essen
• NSA Number: NSA-29-000756
• OSTI ID: 4436269
• Journal Information: Strahlentherapie, v. 145, no. 6, pp. 644-651, Journal Name: Strahlentherapie, v. 145, no. 6, pp. 644-651; ISSN STRAA
• Country of Publication: Germany
• Language: German

Related Subjects

*LUNGS-- RADIATION DOSES
*RADIOTHERAPY-- RADIATION DOSES
EMBOLI
LIPIODOL
LYMPH NODES
MAN
N48510 --Life Sciences--Radiation Effects on Animals--Man
N48520* --Life Sciences--Radiation Effects on Animals-- Vertebrates
RABBITS
RADIOISOTOPES