[en] Three cases are presented in which there was a reversal of activity in the hepatic vein region by means of either one or 2 radiotracers. This locale is one of multiple blood vessels as well as lymphatic channels and lymph nodes. Data on any 'flip-flop' in the hepatic vein area may be useful in defining pathological events. (orig.)

[en] A case is presented in which intravenous administration of glucagon, presumably by relaxation of the sphincter of Oddi, facilitated the transit of a hepatobiliary radiopharmaceutical from the gallbladder into the bowel. This approach is likely more feasible than food intake and at least theoretically safer than cholecystokinin administration. Further studies are needed to assess the actual usefulness of this intervention

[en] Oligohydramnios can be associated with fetal renal abnormalities. A pregnancy marked by oligohydramnios produced a male child with the facial features of Potter's syndrome. Kidneys could not be demonstrated by ultrasound or by a sup(99m)Tc-DTPA dynamic study. A potential role for renal scintigraphic techniques, in an effort to define kidneys in such cases, was discussed. (orig.)

[en] A case is presented in which a portable nuclear scintillation probe was used to detect tricuspid regurgitation. An electrocardiographically-gated scintigraphic collection obtained over the liver was correlated with findings from contrast echocardiography and jugular venous pulse tracings. The nuclear probe may provide a simple means for the detection of tricuspid insufficiency. It remains to be determined if quantification of severity will be possible

[en] To assess myocardial performance in diabetics following acute myocardial infarction (AMI), resting gated radionuclide studies with Tc-99m were performed within two weeks of the onset of symptoms in matched groups of 18 type-II diabetics with their first clinical AMI (D-AMI), 20 nondiabetics with their first AMI (ND-AMI), and 20 nondiabetic noncardiac controls. Eighty-three percent of D-AMI and 50% of ND-AMI had left ventricular ejection fractions below 2 SD of normal. Diabetics had a significantly lower resting LVEF than nondiabetics (p<0.05). All patients with LVEF < 35% were diabetics. LV mean ejection and filling rates were similar in diabetics and nondiabetics. While 72% of diabetics showed abnormal wall motion in 5 or more segments (out of 9), only 45% of the nondiabetics were this extensively affected. Seventy-two percent of the diabetics showed one or more of akinesis and 39% had one or more areas of dyskinesis, compared to 30% and 5% of the nondiabetics respectively. The authors conclude that the extent, as well as the severity of the left ventricular impairment is more evident in the diabetics than in the nondiabetics, following the first acute MI

No abstract available

[en] The authors reviewed their experience with thyroid imaging in newborns with suspected congenital hypothyroidism. The infants were selected through a hypothyroidism screening program. There were 19 infants (14 females, 5 males) from 2 to 8 weeks of age with a blood T4 <6 μg/dl. Thyroid imaging was performed with either IV or IM injection of 0.5 to 1 mCi of Tc 99m pertechnetate using a gamma camera with a pinhole collimator. Salivary glands and stomach were also imaged for assessing the presence of the transport system. In 6 infants (32%) no thyroid tissue was visualized (thyroid hypoplasia). Four infants (21%) showed ectopic thyroid tissue in the lingual or sublingual area. Two infants (10%) had evidence of goiter. The remaining 7 infants (37%) had normal appearing glands in size and position. TSH values were markedly elevated (> 100 μμ/ml) in all 10 patients with hypoplastic or ectopic thyroid. Two patients were subsequently found to have normal thyroid function (one with TBG deficiency and one with transient hypothyroidism). Thyroidal as well as salivary gland trapping of the radiotracer in these two infants was clearly less than that of adults suggesting immaturity of the transport/trapping mechanism. All 4 patients with ectopic thyroid had markedly increased uptake of the radiotracer. All other patients with elevated TSH levels had increased uptake of the radiotracer as compared to the normals. They conclude that thyroid scanning is an important tool in delineating the etiology of congenital hypothyroidism

[en] One hundred six patients had the area of the femoral head scintigraphed after completion of a Tc-99m sulfur colloid liver scan. In 47 (45%), there was no visible activity in the femoral heads. This was somewhat age-related. All six individuals in the 11- to 19-yr age group showed femoral-head uptake of radiocolloid, but only 37% of those 70 to 79 yr old revealed such accumulation. The finding that less than one half of adults had uptake of radiocolloid in the femoral heads was consistent with results of three smaller series of patients (larger dose of radiocolloid, use of a different preparation of sulfur colloid, and use of In-III chloride). We conclude that not all adults take up radiocolloid in the femoral heads, and that lack of such uptake is not necessarily abnormal. Use of radiocolloid accumulation to gauge femoral-head vascularity may be more limited than previously appreciated, although right-left asymmetry might be of some diagnostic assistance

[en] One hundred six patients had the area of the femoral head scintigraphed after completion of a ^99mTc sulfur colloid liver scan. In 47 (45%), there was no visible activity in the femoral heads. This was somewhat age-related. All six individuals in the 11- to 19-yr age group showed femoral-head uptake of radiocolloid, but only 37% of those 70 to 79 yr old revealed such accumulation. The finding that less than one half of adults had uptake of radiocolloid in the femoral heads was consistent with results of three smaller series of patients (larger dose of radiocolloid, use of a different preparation of sulfur colloid, and use of ₁₁₁In chloride). We conclude that not all adults take up radiocolloid in the femoral heads, and that lack of such uptake is not necessarily abnormal. Use of radiocolloid accumulation to gauge femoral-head vascularity may be more limited than previously appreciated, although right-left asymmetry might be of some diagnostic assistance

[en] A mass in a woman's neck, with no sequestration by ₉₉mTc imaging, was accompanied by an elevated serum calcitonin on one occasion. Light microscopy of a biopsy was consistent with medullary thyroid carcinoma. Electron microscopy showed secretory granules similar to those found in normal C-cells and in medullary carcinoma of the thyroid. The neck mass (and pulmonary and hepatic metastases likely from the principal mass) concentrated radioiodide (₁₃₁I). Subsequent immunoperoxidase examination of the tissues showed them to contain thyroglobulin but not calcitonin. The tumor was thus likely of follicular-cell origin. Reports of radioiodide uptake in medullary thyroid carcinoma may be correct, but each case will have to be re-examined with attention to tissue markers such as thyroglobulin and calcitonin. These markers might more correctly classify the origin of the tumor. The possibilities of cell interconversion and of dual origin are also discussed. Whole-body turnover of radioiodide was quantified as well as that in the pulmonary lesions. Rapid removal of radioactivity was present, suggesting that agents reducing iodide turnover might have therapeutic value in these cases. At five days after radioiodide administration, a biopsy specimen showed that the tumor-to-blood ratio (per gram) was greater than 1