Radionuclide image offers qualitative information which is difficult to be obtained with the use of morphological imaging techniques like computed tomography (CT). However, in the spatial resolution and the ability to differentiate tumor from normal adjacent tissue, radionucleide image is inferior to CT. Particularly, physiologic uptake or false-positive uptake of
67Ga-citrate was frequently seen in the oral and maxillo-facial region where inflammatory conditions, such as dental disease and salivary gland inflammation are quite common, resulting in difficulty for the correct evaluation.
To resolve these problems, superimposed images of
67Ga-single photon emission CT (SPELT) and CT were constructed. Relative value of superimposed image versus CT,
67Ga-planar image and
67Ga-SPECT was studied in 8 patients of malignant tumors (In 1 patient, it was examined twice). Three points were marked on the patient's skin surface to adjust the both sections of CT and
67Ga-SPECT in the same geometrical plane. Image superimposing procedure was archieved by a recently developed soft ware program after inputting the data of CT into the nuclear medical data processing machine through the medium of magnetic tape.
The tumor detection was well determined in 6 of 9 examined cases by
67Ga-planar images. In 8 of 9 cases, tumors were well detected by CT. The tumors examined were detected in all cases by both
67Ga-SPELT images and superimposed images.
The extent of lesions to the adjacent tissue was well determined in 3 of 9 examined cases by
67Ga-planar images. In 5 of 9 cases, the lesion extent was determined by
67Ga-SPELT images, and in 7 of 9 cases by CT. However, superimposed imaging method was more accurate than CT in determining the extent of lesions in all cases. Thus, the superimposing imaging method presented here has been proved to be very useful to obtain both morphological and qualitative information quite effectively.
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