~(99)Tc~m-MIBI scintimammography in detecting breast cancer and axillary lymph node metastasis

Objective To investigate the clinical value of 99 Tc m MIBI scintimammography both in differentiating malignant breast cancer from benign breast mass and in detecting axillary lymph nodes metastasis Methods A group of 46 patients with palpable masses (including 27 patients with breast cancer, 19 patients with benign disease) underwent 99 Tc m MIBI scintimammography within 15 d before surgery Images of two posterior oblique (prone imaging) views and one anterior (supine)planar thoracic view with both axilla included in the field of view were obtained 5 min after injection of 740 MBq of 99 Tc m MIBI (5 min/view)into the vein in the arm contralateral to the sick breast The scintimammography was read as positive when focal radioactivity increased in the breast or (and) axilla The scintigraphy studies were compared with pathology Results Pathological studies showed that the size range of tumor was 1 5 cm～8 0 cm, and the size range of metastatic axillary lymph node was 0 5 cm to 2 0 cm The sensitivity of 99 Tc m MIBI scintimammography in diagnosing breast cancer was 100%, and specificity is 68 4%, and that in detecting axillary lymph node involvement was 84 6% and 97 0%, respectively Conclusions 99 Tc m MIBI scintimammography not only can differentiate the malignant from benign breast tumors, but also can detect the metastases in axillary lymph nodes Combined with other imaging modalities, it has greater clinical significance in diagnosis and management of breast cancer