Scintimammography: a new imaging technique for diagnosis and follow-up of breast cancer

99m Tc MiBi has emerged as a new imaging technique for primary breast carci nomas. The aim of this study was to analyze the diagnostic performance and the additional information provided by scintimammography (SMN). Two hundred and forty consecutive women referred to surgery for anormalities breast or suspicious breast cancer were scanned before surgery. Sensitivity and spec ificity were respectively 92% and 53%. PPV 77.5% and PVN: 79.3%. A false ne gative scans occurred in cancers less than or equal to 1 cm. SMN detected m ultiple foci of uptake in the same breast in 13%, that were all confirmed t o be multifocal disease and histology. Controlateral focal uptake was also detected; at this time 5/27 are confirmed to be bilateral breast neoplasms; 22 patients are in follow-up. SMN is reliable in the diagnosis of breast c ancer and also with difficult cases of mammography. Moreover, SMN provides additional qualitative information in 19.6% of breast carcinomas, such as c hest wall infiltration, multifocal or bilateral breast cancer.