Abstract
The efficacy of Ga-scintigraphy as a diagnostic tool was evaluated in 83 patients with epidermoid carcinoma of the head and neck from January 1984 to December 1988 at the Department of Otolaryngology, Shimane Medical College.
The accumulation of Ga-citrate in the primary region of head and neck cancer was 48%. The correct diagnosis of cervical metastatic lymph nodes by Ga-scintigrams was 76%, false positives 3%, false negatives 48%, sensitivity 52%, and specificity 98%. The correct diagnosis of distant metastatic lesions by Ga-scintigrams was 93%, false positives 8%, false negatives 0%, sensitivity 100%, and specificity 92%. The above results suggest that Ga-scintigraphy is a valuable method in the diagnosis of distant metastatic lesions but less useful in the detection of primary lesions and cervical metastatic lymph nodes of head and neck cancer.
