Radionuclide imaging using (111)In, (99m)Tc and (153)Sm is commonly undertaken for the clinical investigation of gastric emptying, intestinal motility and whole gut transit. However the documented evidence concerning internal radiation dosimetry for such studies is not readily available. This communication documents the internal radiation dosimetry for whole gastrointestinal transit studies using (111)In, (99m)Tc and (153)Sm labeled formulations. The findings were compared to the diagnostic reference levels recommended by the United Kingdom Administration of Radioactive Substances Advisory Committee, for gastrointestinal transit studies.
Positron emission tomography (PET) combined with computed tomography (CT) is an established diagnostic modality that has become an essential imaging tool in oncological practice. However, thanks to its noninvasive nature and its capability to provide physiological information, the main applications of this technique have significantly expanded.(18)F-labelled fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) is the most commonly used radiopharmaceutical for PET scanning and demonstrates metabolic activity in various tissues. Since activated inflammatory cells, like malignant cells, predominantly metabolise glucose as a source of energy and increase expression of glucose transporters when activated, FDG-PET/CT can be successfully used to detect and monitor a variety of lung diseases, such as infections and several inflammatory conditions.The added value of FDG-PET/CT as a molecular imaging technique relies on its capability to identify disease in very early stages, long before the appearance of structural changes detectable by conventional imaging. Furthermore, by detecting the active phase of infectious or inflammatory processes, disease progression and treatment efficacy can be monitored.This review will focus on the clinical use of FDG-PET/CT in nonmalignant pulmonary diseases.
Estimation of glomerular filtration rate (GFR) in renal transplant patients is often assessed by application of creatinine-based equations. The aim was to correlate the estimated GFR (eGFR) using creatinine-based equations [Cockroft-Gault, Modification of Diet in Renal Disease (MDRD), Chronic Kidney Disease Epidemiology Collaboration (CKD-EPI), Nankivell] with gold standard 51Cr-EDTA in kidney transplant patients in the Asian population. This is a single-center, cross-sectional study involving adult renal transplant patients. Background demographic data, medications, office blood pressure, and baseline investigations were taken. Correlations between measured GFR and eGFR were analyzed and Pearson's correlation coefficients, bias, and accuracy were assessed. Thirty-seven renal transplant patients with a mean age of 46 ± 13 years were recruited. Majority were Chinese (68%), Malay (24%), and Indian (8%). The median duration of the transplant was 84 (interquartile range 60,132) months. The mean measured GFR was 71 ± 21 mL/min/1.73 m2. Cockroft-Gault and CKD-EPI has the best correlation with 51Cr-EDTA with Pearson correlation coefficients of 0.733 (P <0.001) and 0.711 (P < 0.001), respectively. All formulae showed >80% accuracy with eGFR lies between 30% of the measured value. CKD-EPI and MDRD had the greatest accuracy with 89.2% each. Clinician may use any of these three serum creatinine-based equations to estimate GFR in kidney transplant recipients.