Lymphoscintigraphy is an Effective Screening Method

Oropharyngeal Cancer

Date: 9/26/2000

(NewsRx.com) -- Lymphoscintigraphy, a radiographic screening technique, is an effective method for diagnosing malignant swelling of the lymph nodes, according to researchers writing in the journal

Dentomaxillofacial Radiology

. T. Sato and colleagues at Kagoshima University in Japan conducted a study "to evaluate the potential usefulness of lymphoscintigraphy for the detection of metastatic cervical lymphadenopathy" ("Clinical evaluation of lymphoscintigraphy with a new technetium compound for metastatic cervical lymphadenopathy,"

Dentomaxillofac Radiol

, 2000;29(4):230-237). Sato and colleagues studied 23 patients with confirmed oropharyngeal tumors, using Tc-99(m)-HSA-D to perform both static and dynamic lymphoscintigraphy. Dynamic scintigraphy showed an overall accuracy rate of 71% for each side, the researchers reported, with a 69% accuracy rate for asymmetric damage and delayed damage and 100% accuracy for inverse drainage. Static scintigraphy had an overall accuracy rate of 74% for each side, with a 67% accuracy rate for mottled or patchy appearance, 70% for edema, 86% for fitting defect, and 100% accuracy for collateral pathway detection, Sato et al. found. Results from lymphoscintigraphy, both static and dynamic, were in agreement with diagnosis from conventional physician palpation 44% of the time, they reported. "Lymphoscintigraphy with Tc-99(m)-HSA-D was superior to palpation," Sato and colleagues concluded. "The method is useful as a supplementary modality for the evaluation of metastatic cervical lymphadenopathy because of its relatively high accuracy and a low false-negative rate." The corresponding author for this report is T. Sato, Kagoshima University, Sch Dent, Dept. Dent. Radiol., 8-35-1 Sakuragaoka, Kagoshima 8908544, Japan. Key points reported in this study include: * Lymphoscintigraphy, a radiographic screening technique, is an effective method for diagnosing malignant swelling of the lymph nodes * Dynamic scintigraphy had an overall accuracy rate of 69% for each side, while static scintigraphy had a 74% overall accuracy rate * Scinitgraphic diagnoses were in agreement with diagnoses derived from conventional palpation 44% of the time This article was prepared by Cancer Weekly editors from staff and other reports.