TC-99M TETROFOSMIN IMAGING IS BREAST-TUMORS

Eighty-five women, Is to 80 years of age, with palpable breast lumps w ere studied 1-4 days before surgery in order to evaluate Tc-99m Tetrof osmin imaging for the detection of malignant breast tumours. Intraveno us injection of Tc-99m Tetrofosmin was followed by 3 min planar images at 5-60 min postinjection. In the latter 57 patients, planar imaging was preceded by a dynamic study of 20x5 sec images. The myocardium was always included in the field of the left breast. Count rates in suspi cious areas were compared with normal tissue areas in the same and the opposite breast and with myocardial counts. Data analysis showed that 77 of the 85 scan results were in agreement with the histological fin dings; six scans were false negative and two false positive for malign ancy. The sensitivity of the method was 90.32% and the specificity 91. 30%, with a positive predictive value of 96.55%. We conclude that brea st scanning with Tc-99m Tetrofosmin may play an important role in the detection of breast malignancies.