CONSOLIDATING THE ROLE OF STAR-I-MIBG-SCINTIGRAPHY IN CHILDHOOD NEUROBLASTOMA - 5 YEARS OF CLINICAL-EXPERIENCE

In recent years,*I-MIBG (*I-metaiodobenzylguanidine), which is transported and stored in the chromaffin cells, has been shown to allow good visualization of neuroblastomas in children. This paper deals with 30*I-MIBG-scans performed in 20 children: 16 with neuroblastoma, 3 with retinoblastoma, and 1 with a malignant paraganglioma. A high detection rate was found for both primary and secondary sites of neuroblastoma.*I-MIBG was generally superior to99mTc-MDP bone scintigraphy in the detection of bone metastases. Our experience illustrates the unique place of*I-MIBG-scintigraphy compared with other imaging techniques: it makes it possible to define the nature of the tumour, particularly in cases with normal catecholamine levels; to establish how extensive the lesions are at the time of diagnosis; and to confirm complete remission. No abnormal*I-MIBG uptake was noted in the 3 cases of retinoblastoma. © 1990 Springer-Verlag.