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| ORIGINAL ARTICLE |
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| Year : 2004 | Volume
: 50
| Issue : 2 | Page : 89-93 |
Imaging using Tc99m-tetrofosmin for the detection of the recurrence of brain tumour: A comparative study with Tc99m-glucoheptonate
Sukanta Barai, GP Bandopadhayaya, PK Julka, A Malhotra, CS Bal, H Dhanpathi
Departments of Nuclear Medicine, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India
Correspondence Address:
Sukanta Barai
197 Type 3 Quarters, AIIMS Residential Complex, A. V. Nagar, August Kranti Marg, New Delhi - 110049
India
 Source of Support: None, Conflict of Interest: None  | Check |
PMID: 15235200 
BACKGROUND: In the past "blood-brain barrier" agents such as Tc99m-glucoheptonate were routinely used for the diagnosis of brain tumours. Of late, agents used for studying myocardial perfusion namely, Tc99m-tetrofosmin, Thallium-201, and Tc99m-sestamibi have replaced the "blood-brain barrier agents" when imaging is undertaken for the detection of the recurrence of brain tumours. However, the incremental diagnostic information provided by Tc99m-tetrofosmin when compared with a blood brain barrier agent in the diagnosis of recurrent brain tumour has not been evaluated till date.
AIMS: The study was carried out to substantiate whether Tc99m-tetrofosmin provides any incremental diagnostic information not provided by the blood brain barrier agent Tc99m-glucoheptonate.
MATERIAL AND METHODS: Brain SPECT scans were performed using Tc99m-tetrofosmin and Tc99m-glucoheptonate in 126 patients of recurrent brain tumour. Bio-distribution and uptake properties of both the tracers were analysed by measuring relative uptake of both the tracers in tumour compared to background (T/B ratio), nasopharynx (T/N ratio) and scalp (T/S ratio).
STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: Descriptive statistics were calculated for each variable. Pearson's correlation coefficient was applied to see agreement of the continuous variables. Paired t test was used to evaluate the difference between two means.
RESULTS: Uptake properties of both the tracers were analysed in 105 patients in whom both Tc99m-tetrofosmin and Tc99m-glucoheptonate showed concentration. The remaining 21 patients in whom the tumour mass did not show Tc99m-tetrofosmin concentration were excluded from the study. Mean T/B ratio, T/N ratio and T/S ratio was 5.83 + 2.09 and 5.99 + 2.26, 0.53 + 0.21 and 0.55 + 0.22 and 1.11 + 0.60 and 1.26 + 0.52 for Tc99m-tetrofosmin and Tc99m-glucoheptonate respectively. No statistically significant difference between T/B ratio and T/N ratio of Tc99m-tetrofosmin and Tc99m-glucoheptonate was found; p values were 0.25 and 0.83 respectively. However there was significant difference (P=0.006) between the T/S ratio of Tc99m-tetrofosmin and that of Tc99m-glucoheptonate.
CONCLUSION: Tc99m-tetrofosmin does not provide any incremental diagnostic information not provided by the blood brain barrier agent Tc99m-glucoheptonate.
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