抄録
We have developed In-111 labeled activated carbon microspheres (111In-CH44) for use in mammary lymphoscintigraphy and analysis of mammary lymph flow. 111In-CH44 was made by the NaI complex method. In 14 patients with breast cancer studied by double isotope method using 111In-CH44 and 99mTc-CH44 which we devoloped formerly. About 1 ml (11.1MBq, 0.3mCi) of 111In-CH44 was injected before operation into the outer side of the mammary gland, and 1 ml (74MBq, 2mCi) of 99mTc-CH44 inner side. The axillary and parasternal lymph nodes were visualized clearly using two isotopes at the same time and radioactivity of each isotope in surgically dissected lymph nodes was counted. In 8 patients with parasternal lymph nodes dissection, mean distribution of radioactivity of, respectively, 111In-CH44 and 99mTC-CH44 in each regional lymph node group was as follows : brachial and subscapular 2.3% and 0.5% : central, pectoral and subpectral 79.1% and 72.9% : interpectoral 0% and 1.8% : infraclavicular 1.9% and 5.7% : highest infraclavicular 0.4% and 0% : and parasternal 16.3% and 19.1%. Thus mammary lymph flow in the same patient can be evaluated using two isotopes at the same time. These results suggest that double isotope method using 111In-CH44 and 99mTc-CH44 is useful for the detailed analysis of mammary lymph flow.
