• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.44 no.6
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• pp.1263-1270
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• 1997

Background : Differentiation of malignity and benignity is crucial for management of solitary pulmonary nodule(SPN). Clinical parameters such as patient's age, nodule size, smoking history, doubling time, typical calcification in X-ray and CT findings have been reported as helpful in this purpose. However, in most cases, these parameters are not conclusive. Glucose metabolism is increased in cancer tissues including lung cancer tissues. After uptake of 2-[F-18]-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose(FDG), the glucose analogue, by cancer cell, FDG is trapped in the cell without further metabolism after phosphorylation. Thus, hypermetabolic focus in FDG-positron emission tomography (PET) imaging suggest malignancy. We evaluated the diagnostic efficacy of FDG-PET imaging in distinguishing malignant and benign SPN. Methods : We evaluated 28 patients with SPN from Jan. 1995 to Jan. 1997. CT scan of chest and whole-body FDG-PET imaging were performed in all patients. Histologic diagnosis was confirmed by transthoracic fine needle aspiration and biopsy, bronchoscopic biopsy and open thoracotomy. Results : Of the 28 SPN's, 22 nodules were malignant and 6 nodules were benign. FDG-PET imaging diagnosed all malignant nodules correctly as positive, and diagnosed 4 of 6 benign nodules correctly as negative. One tuberculous granuloma and one aspergilloma showed hypennetabolic focus and were diagnosed falsely positve with FDG-PET imaging. In the diagnosis of SPN with FDG-PET, sensitivity and specificity were 100% and 66.7%, positive predictive value and negative predictive value were 92% and 100%. Conclusion : FDG-PET imaging is highly useful noninvasive diagnostic tool in distinguishing between malignant SPN and benign SPN.

• Childhood Kidney Diseases
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.22-29
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• 2001

Purpose : 99mTc DMSA renal scan have been widely used not only for tile evaluation of renal scars but also for the diagnosis of acute pyelonephritis. Recent studies have shown SPECT images have higher accuracy than the planar images with some controversy. We evaluated the availability of the SPECT images adding to planar images for the diagnosis of acute pyelonephritis(APN) and renal scar in children with urinary tract infection (UTI). Methods : 130 children with UTI (260 kidney units) and 22 follow-up children (44 kidney units) were included between January 1, 1997 and July 31, 1999 at Ewha University Mokdong Hospital. Planar Anterior and posterior images and SPECT axial and coronal images of 99mTc DMSA renal scan were obtained with Starcam 4000-i U.S.A. GE at 3 hours after 99mTc DMSA I.V. injection. The data were analyzed by Chi square test after Yates's correction. Results : The detection rate of the acute pyelonephritis by SPECT images was 12.3$\%$ higher than that of planar images ($47.7\%\;vs\;35.4\%$) by the patient and 6.9$\%$ higher also ($31.9\%\;vs\;25.4\%$) by the kidney unit. 18 kidney units with negative planar images had focal defect in 10 kidney units (3.8$\%$) and multifocal defect in 8 kidney units (3.1$\%$) on SPECT images, but 1 kidney unit with positive planar image had negative SPECT image. SPECT images were superior to tile planar images in 17.3$\%$. identical in 82.3$\%$ and inferior in 0.4$\%$ to planar image. The detection rate of tile renal scars by SPECT images was 13.7$\%$ higher than planar images by the patient ($68.2\%\;vs\;54.5\%$) and 6.8$\%$ higher also ($43.2\%\;vs\;36.4\%$) by the kidney unit. SPECT images were superior to the planar images in 17.3$\%$ and identical in 82.3$\%$ to planar image. Conclusion SPECT images had shown higher detection rate and better image than planar images for the diagnosis of the acute pyelonephritis and the evaluation of the renal scars. (J. Korean Soc Pediatr Nephrol 5 : 22- 9, 2001)

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine
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• v.32 no.6
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• pp.509-515
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• 1998

Purpose: The aim of this study was to evaluate whether T1-201 reinjection distinguishes viable from non-viable myocardium in patients with reverse redistribution after acute myocardial infarction. Materials and Methods: We studied 42 patients with acute myocardial infarction (age, $55{\pm}12$ years). Eighteen (43%) out of 42 showed reverse redistribution on dipyridamole stress-4 hour redistribution T1-201 single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT). T1-201 reinjection was performed at 24 hours. Reverse redistribution was defined as worsening of perfusion defect at 4 hour delayed scan. All patients underwent follow-up echocardiography in 4 months to assess regional wall motion improvement. T1-201 uptake on reinjection images were analyzed for the prediction of myocardial wall motion improvement. Results: Of 36 segments with reverse redistribution, 17 segments showed normal wall motion on echocardiography, while 19 segments showed wall motion abnormalities. Of 19 the segments with reverse redistribution, 11 (58%) showed enhanced uptake after 24 hour reinjection. Myocardial wall motion was improved in 10 of 11 segments (90%) with enhanced uptake on reinjection. Wall motion improvement was not seen in 5 of 8 segments (63%) without enhanced thallium uptake. When myocardial viability was assessed by the uptake on reinjection image, nine of 10 segments (90%) with normal or mildly decreased uptake showed improved wall motion. Wall motion was not improved in 5 of 9 segments (16%) with severely decreased uptake. Conclusion: In patients with acute myocardial infarction, T1-201 reinjection imaging on myocardial segments with reverse redistribution has a high positive predictive value in the assessment of myocardial viability.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.199-206
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• 2000

Purpose: Myocardial perfusion scintigraphy is a useful technique to diagnose and to predict prognosis in patients with suspected or known coronary artery disease. The purpose of the present study is to evaluate the prognostic value of normal exercise $^{99m}Tc$-MIBI myocardial perfusion single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) and to analyze results with regard to those of exercise electrocardiography or coronary angiography. Materials and Methods: We evaluated 301 patients (mean age $52{\pm}10$ years, 166 males and 135 females) with normal exercise $^{99m}Tc$-MIBI myocardial perfusion SPECT performed for suspected coronary artery disease. Subject were evaluated for cardiac events and followed for 8-55 months (mean $19{\pm}10$ months) after imaging. Results: During the follow-up period, there was no cardiac death but only one non-fatal myocardial infarction (event rate 0.21% per year). In addition, only one patient underwent coronary revascularization. There was no significant difference in cardiac event rate between patients with positive (n=27) and negative (n=235) exercise electrocardiography (p:NS). There was no cardiac event in 17 patients who underwent coronary angiography (4 patients with >50% luminal narrowing, 2 patients with vasospasm and 11 patients with no significant lesion). Conclusion: Patients with normal exercise $^{99m}Tc$-MIBI myocardial perfusion SPECT has a very low risk for cardiac events regardless of exercise electrocardiographic and coronary angiographic findings.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.111-119
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• 2009

Purpose: This study aimed at assessing the value of fluorine-18 fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography ($^{18}F$-FDG PET) for predicting the response of locally advanced rectal cancer to neoadjuvant CRT. Materials and Methods: Between August 2006 and January 2008, we prospectively enrolled 20 patients with locally advanced rectal cancer and who were treated with neoadjuvant CRT at the Korea Institute of Radiological and Medical Sciences. The treatment consisted of radiation therapy and chemotherapy, and this was followed by curative resection 6 weeks later. All the patients underwent $^{18}F$-FDG PET/CT both before CRT and 6 weeks after completing CRT. The measurements of the FDG uptake ($SUV_{max}$), the absolute difference (${\Delta}SUV_{max}$) and the percent $SUV_{max}$ difference (response index, $RI_{SUV}$) between the pre- and post-CRT $^{18}F$-FDG PET/CT scans were assessed. The measurements of the metabolic volume, the absolute difference (${\Delta}$metabolic volume) and the percent metabolic volume difference (response index, $RI_{metabolic\;volume}$) were also assessed. Results: Of the 20 patients who underwent surgery, 11 patients (55%) were classified as responders according to Dworak's classification. The post-CRT $SUV_{max}$ was significantly lower than the pre-CRT $SUV_{max}$. However, there were no significant differences in the $SUV_{max}$ and the metabolic volume reduction between the responders and non-responders. We used a minimum $SUV_{max}$ reduction of 67% as the cut-off value for defining a response, with a sensitivity of 45.5%, a specificity of 88.9%, a positive predictive value of 77% and a negative predictive value of 53.8%. Conclusion: Although there were no statistically significant results in this study, other studies have revealed that $^{18}F$-FDG PET/CT has the potential to assess the tumor response to neoadjuvant CRT in patients with locally advanced rectal cancer.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.43 no.5
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• pp.720-727
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• 1996

Objectives: $^{201}TI$ - chloride, $^{99m}Tc$ - MIBI, $^{99m}Tc$(V) - DMSA SPECT has been used in distinguishing lung cancer from benign lesion. To compare the diagnostic efficacy of SPECT with these tumor - seeking agents, we perfonned three consecutive SPECT using $^{201}TI$, $^{99m}Tc$ - MIBI, $^{99m}Tc$(V) - DMSA in same subjects with a solitary pulmonary lesion. Methods: SPECT was carried out at 10min and 3hr for $^{201}TI$ after injection of 20mCi, and 2hr for $^{99m}Tc$ - MIBI and $^{99m}Tc$(V) - DMSA after injection of 20mCi, respectively, in 37 patients with a solitary pulmonary lesion(27 lung cancer and 10 benign diseases). In patients showing visual uptake on lesion site, we obtained the lesion - to - background(target lesion/contralateral normal lung) uptake ratio from transverse slice for each radionuclide and also calculated the retention index for $^{201}TI$. Results: The diagnostic sensitivity of $^{201}TI$, $^{99m}Tc$ - MIBI and $^{99m}Tc$(V) - DMSA SPECT to lung cancer was 100%, 96% and 73%, and the specificity was 40%, 70% and 70%, respectively. The low specificities for these agents were mainly due to high positive uptake in patients with active pulmonary tuberculosis. There were no significant differences in uptake ratios and retention index between malignant and benign lesions, and among the histologic types of lung cancer. Conclusion : $^{201}TI$ and $^{99m}Tc$ - MIBI showed higher sensitivity than $^{99m}Tc$(V) - DMSA for detecting lung cancer, but was of limited usefulness in distinguishing lung cancer from benign lesion due to low specificity, especially in area with a high prevalence of active pulmonary tuberculosis.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine
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• v.34 no.5
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• pp.410-417
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• 2000

Purpose: Idoxifene is currently entering phase II clinical trials for the treatment of advanced breast cancer. The radiolabeled idoxifene using $[^{123}I]$ provides an opportunity for clinical pharmacology with single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT). The purpose of this study was to prepare radiolabeled idoxifene using $[^{123}I]$ and to determine its cell uptake of breast cancer cell line. Materials and Methods: With a view to evaluating new anticancer drugs, we are investigating the novel antiestrogen pyrrolidino-4-iodotamoxifen (idoxifene). $[^{123}I]$Idoxifene has been prepared in no-carrier-added form using a tributyl stannylated precursor which has been synthesized by means of (2-chloroethoxy)benzene with (${\pm}$)-2-phenylbutanoic acid on the basis of previously reported standard methods. The biodistribution and dynamic behavior of the compound were investigated using the comparative breast cancer cell line, MCF-7 (estrogen receptor-positive) and MDA-MB-468 (non-estrogen receptor). Results and Conclusion: Acylation of (2-chloroethoxy)benzene with (${\pm}$)-2-phenylbutanoic acid gave the versatile ketone (81%) which reacted with 1,4-diiodobenzene to give triphenylethylene as a mixture of E and Z geometric isomers, which were separated by the recrystallization in ethanol. The E-isomer was treated with pyrrolidine to give idoxifene (67%). In order to incorporate radioactive iodine into the 4-position, the 4-stannylated precursor was prepared (30%). The yield of radioiodination was 90-92% with a high radiochemical purity greater than 98%. The ratio of tumor uptake of the breast cancer cell line between MCF-7 and MDA-MB-468 was about 1.7.