Use of gallium-67 in pulmonary disorders

Journal Article · Sat Jul 01 04:00:00 EDT 1978 · Semin. Nucl. Med.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/S0001-2998(78)80031-2· OSTI ID:6737165

Siemsen, J K; Grebe, S F; Waxman, A D

Imaging of the chest cage with gallium-67 (/sup 67/Ga) citrate is relatively easier to perform and interpret than imaging of the abdomen, because normally pulmonary concentration is low after 48 hr and physiologic accumulation in bones and breast can be recognized by its distribution. Modern scintillation detectors, particularly large field cameras with multiple pulse-height analyzers, give substantially better gallium images than those available in the past. Because of the nonspecific affinity of gallium through neoplastic and inflammatory processes, its value in the differential diagnosis of pulmonary diseases is limited. However, based on the literature and our own observations in over 1100 patients with established diagnosis of a variety of pulmonary diseases, we feel that the judicious use of /sup 67/Ga in selected patients is helpful in answering specific questions. Those include preoperative evaluation of hilar and mediastinal involvement in pulmonary neoplasms, differential diagnosis of pulmonary infarctions and bacterial pneumonias, evaluation of pulmonary infiltrates regarding infectious etiology, follow-up of sarcoidosis on corticosteroid treatment, assessment of inflammatory activity in interstitial fibrosis and, in selected cases, early detection of neoplastic and inflammatory diseases before radiography becomes abnormal, such as diffuse carcinomatosis and Pneumocystis carinii infection. Potential large-scale application of pulmonary gallium imaging could be found in the screening of subjects exposed occupationally to noxious dust and in long-term serial follow-up of pulmonary tuberculosis patients for treatment response and reactivation. However, it remains to be seen whether gallium imaging statistically provides essential additional information in these indications when compared to cheaper conventional techniques.

• Research Organization: Univ. of Southern California School of Medicine, Los Angeles
• OSTI ID: 6737165
• Journal Information: Semin. Nucl. Med.; (United States), Journal Name: Semin. Nucl. Med.; (United States) Vol. 8:3; ISSN SMNMA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

550601* -- Medicine-- Unsealed Radionuclides in Diagnostics
62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BODY
COUNTING TECHNIQUES
DAYS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
DIAGNOSIS
DIAGNOSTIC TECHNIQUES
DISEASES
ELECTRON CAPTURE RADIOISOTOPES
GALLIUM 67
GALLIUM ISOTOPES
INTERMEDIATE MASS NUCLEI
ISOTOPES
LUNGS
NEOPLASMS
NUCLEI
ODD-EVEN NUCLEI
ORGANS
PATIENTS
RADIOISOTOPE SCANNING
RADIOISOTOPES
RESPIRATORY SYSTEM
RESPIRATORY SYSTEM DISEASES
SCINTISCANNING