This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Mountz, J. M. Articles by Stafford-Schuck, K. A. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Mountz, J. M. Articles by Stafford-Schuck, K. A.

Specific Localization of Thallium 201 in Human High-Grade Astrocytoma by Microautoradiography¹

Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Nuclear Medicine [J. M. M., K. A. S.-S.], Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology [P. A. R., L. K. B.], Department of Pathology [P. E. M.], Department of Psychinatry [J. G. M.], and Department of Neurosurgery [T. W. H.], University of Michigan Medical Center, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109-0028

The ability to accurately distinguish remaining or recurrent high-grade astrocytoma from necrosis or edema following treatment is essential to optimal patient management. Thallium 201 planar -camera imaging has been shown to be helpful in detecting recurrent high-grade astrocytoma; however, due to tissue heterogeneity adjacent to and within tumor, the cellular specificity and quantification of ²⁹¹TI uptake are largely unknown. In order to determine which tissues are responsible for the radioisotope uptake, microautoradiographic techniques were used to examine multiple tissue sections from five patients with high-grade astrocytoma. Each patient received 5 mCi of ²⁹¹TI i.v. 1 h prior to tumor removal. Additionally, all patients received computerized tomographic and ²⁹¹TI planar -camera scans prior to surgery. Following surgery, the excised tissue specimens were tentatively classified by gross pathological examination and then immediately processed for dry mount autoradiography; grain density was determined over regions containing tumor, adjacent and uninvolved brain tissue, necrotic tissue, and background. Highly significant differences were found in grain densities (²⁹¹TI uptake) between tumor and uninvolved brain tissue, as well as between uninvolved brain tissue and necrotic tissue; there was no significant difference between background grain density and that in necrotic tissue. Mean grain densities (grains/cm² ± 1 SD) across patients were: tumor, 102 ± 23; adjacent, uninvolved brain tissue, 29 ± 11; necrotic tissue, 6.2 ± 1.1; and background, 7.0 ± 4.1. We conclude that the ability of ²⁰¹TI to selectively image high-grade astrocytoma is due to its preferential uptake into tumor cells.

¹ This work has been supported in part by Institutional Research Grant IN-40-28 to the University of Michigan from the American Cancer Society.

² To whom requests for reprints should be addressed, at Division of Nuclear Medicine, University of Michigan Medical Center, 1500 East Medical Center Drive, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-0028.

Received 2/ 2/89. Accepted 4/13/89.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				M. J. Vos, O. S. Hoekstra, F. Barkhof, J. Berkhof, J. J. Heimans, C. J. van Groeningen, W. P. Vandertop, B. J. Slotman, and T. J. Postma Thallium-201 Single-Photon Emission Computed Tomography As an Early Predictor of Outcome in Recurrent Glioma J. Clin. Oncol., October 1, 2003; 21(19): 3559 - 3565. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				A. Kirton, R. Kloiber, J. Rigel, and J. Wolff Evaluation of Pediatric CNS Malignancies with 99mTc-Methoxyisobutylisonitrile SPECT J. Nucl. Med., November 1, 2002; 43(11): 1438 - 1443. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]