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Contribution of thallium-201-SPECT to the grading of tumorous alterations of the brain

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Abstract

Single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) with thallium-201-chloride (201TI) was used in 22 patients to assess the grade of malignancy of brain tumors.

Low- and high-grade malignant gliomas could be well differentiated by calculating the Grade Index (GI), i.e., 201TI uptake in the tumor area relative to a contralateral brain region. Low-grade gliomas (WHO-grade I–II) usually showed a GI of <1.5. Tumors classified histologically as high-grade malignant (WHO-grade III–IV) had GI values greater than 1.42 and a mean value of 1.89.

Until labelled amino-acid tracers for gamma-cameras become commercially available, thallium-201 brain-SPECT can provide an independent and complementary method to CT/MRI for the differential diagnosis of grading of brain tumors. This simple technique can help to reduce sampling errors during needle biopsies of brain tumors, particularly of high-grade lesions incorrectly graded as low-grade tumors due to inadequate biopsy material. In addition, pre- and post-therapy studies can influence the strategy of therapy itself and allow an early detection of recurrences.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Nuclear Medicine of the Central Hospital of the armed forces in Koblenz (“Bundeswehrzentralkrankenhaus Koblenz”), Academic Teaching Hospital of the Johannes-Gutenberg-University Mainz, Germany

    Rüdiger Burkard, Klaus Peter Kaiser & Helmut Wieler

  2. Department of Neurosurgery of the Central Hospital of the armed forces in Koblenz (“Bundeswehrzentralkrankenhaus Koblenz”), Academic Teaching Hospital of the Johannes-Gutenberg-University Mainz, Germany

    Peter Klawki

  3. Department of Internal Medicine of the Central Hospital of the armed forces in Koblenz (“Bundeswehrzentralkrankenhaus Koblenz”), Academic Teaching Hospital of the Johannes-Gutenberg-University Mainz, Germany

    Axel Linkamp

  4. Department of Neurology and Psychiatry of the Central Hospital of the armed forces in Koblenz (“Bundeswehrzentralkrankenhaus Koblenz”), Academic Teaching Hospital of the Johannes-Gutenberg-University Mainz, Germany

    Lutz Mittelbach

  5. Department of Pathology of the Central Hospital of the armed forces in Koblenz (“Bundeswehrzentralkrankenhaus Koblenz”), Academic Teaching Hospital of the Johannes-Gutenberg-University Mainz, Germany

    Thomas Göller

Authors
  1. Rüdiger Burkard
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  2. Klaus Peter Kaiser
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  3. Helmut Wieler
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  4. Peter Klawki
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  5. Axel Linkamp
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  6. Lutz Mittelbach
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  7. Thomas Göller
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Burkard, R., Kaiser, K.P., Wieler, H. et al. Contribution of thallium-201-SPECT to the grading of tumorous alterations of the brain. Neurosurg. Rev. 15, 265–273 (1992). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00257803

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00257803

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