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Detection of axillary lymph node metastases in breast carcinoma by technetium-99m sestamibi breast scintigraphy, ultrasound and conventional mammography

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Abstract

Axillary lymph node status is important in the staging of breast carcinoma. To evaluate the accuracy of technetium-99m sestamibi breast scintigraphy in detecting metastatic axillary lymph nodes as compared with other accepted imaging modalities, we performed99mTc-sestamibi breast scintigraphy, conventional mammography and ultrasound in 36 patients with primary untreated breast carcinoma. With histopathology as the gold standard,99mTc-sestamibi breast scintigraphy was found to yield true-positive results in 7 of 11 cases (64%) of axillary lymph node metastases and true-negative results in 18 of 20 cases (90%); it has an accuracy of 81%, a positive predictive value of 77.8% and a negative predictive value of 81.8%.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Diagnostic Radiology and Organ Imaging, Prince of Wales Hospital, Ngan Shing Street, Shatin, Hong Kong

    W. W. M. Lam, W. T. Yang, Y. L. Chan, I. E. T. Stewart & C. Metreweli

  2. Department of Surgery, Prince of Wales Hospital, Ngan Shing Street, Shatin, Hong Kong

    W. King

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  1. W. W. M. Lam
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  2. W. T. Yang
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  3. Y. L. Chan
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  4. I. E. T. Stewart
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  5. C. Metreweli
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  6. W. King
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Lam, W.W.M., Yang, W.T., Chan, Y.L. et al. Detection of axillary lymph node metastases in breast carcinoma by technetium-99m sestamibi breast scintigraphy, ultrasound and conventional mammography. Eur J Nucl Med 23, 498–503 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00833382

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00833382

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