[Scintigraphic follow-up of patients with liver and spleen metastases undergoing cytotoxic therapy (author's transl)]

Abstract

The importance of scintigrpahy in the diagnosis of liver and spleen tumors is well known. There is, however, up to this time only poor information regarding the use of scintigraphy in follow up studies in patients with liver and spleen metastases undergoing cytostatic therapy. We had the opportunity to investigate 30 patients in whom Hodgkin's disease, Zollinger-Ellison syndrome, ovarian, breast or bronchial and GI malignancy was confirmed by histology. The scintigraphic examinations were performed by means of a scintillation camera using 99mTc sulfur colloid as radiotracer. In each case, three views of the organ were recorded firstly prior to therapy and (at least) once again during or after therapy respectively. The results of liver and spleen scintigraphy were compared with clinical findings, laboratory tests, laparoscopy and histopathology. In 13 of our patients, diminution of metastases was detected. In one patient an increase of the size of the tumors was seen after temporary improvement. In 8 patients, there was no change of the metastatic pattern after cytostatic therapy. 6 patients showed an increase of liver metastases under therapy. Two patients with normal liver scintigraphy in whom clinical and laboratory findings indicated liver involvement yielded no evidence of metastasis at autopsy. In 13 cases, the diagnosis of liver metastasis was detected earlier by scintigraphy than by laboratory tests.