SOFT-TISSUE TUMORS - DIAGNOSIS WITH TC-99M (V) DIMERCAPTOSUCCINIC ACID SCINTIGRAPHY

PURPOSE: to assess the potential of technetium-99m (V) dimercaptosuccinic acid (DMSA) scintigraphy for diagnosis of soft-tissue tumors. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Tc-99m (V) DMSA scintigraphy was performed in 76 patients with histologic proof of soft-tissue tumors. In 57 of these patients, gallium-67 citrate scintigraphy was performed within 2 weeks after Tc-99m (V) DMSA scin-tigraphy. RESULTS: Uptake of Tc-99m (V) DMSA was clearly detected in almost all sarcomas, metastatic carcinomas, highly recurrent benign tumors (ie, extraabdominal desmoids and teno-synovial giant cell tumors), superficial and deep hemangiomas, and granulomatous soft-tissue lesions but was not found in other benign solid tumors of soft tissue. Uptake of Ga-67 citrate was clearly detected in all inflammatory lesions and metastatic carcinomas, eight of 14 sarcomas (57%), and two of 10 highly recurrent benign tumors (20%) but was not found in hemangiomas or benign soft-tissue tumors. CONCLUSION: Low-grade malignant and highly recurrent benign lesions, which often recur after surgery, were detected more accurately with Tc-99m (V) DMSA scintigraphy than with Ga-67 citrate scintigraphy.