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Main Article Content
Can ulceration in carcinoma of the oesophagus be detected by 99mTc-sucralfate scan?
Abstract
Objective. To test: (i) the sensitivity and positive predictive value of tagged material in delineating ulcerations of the oesophagus in the pre- and post-treatment periods
and at follow-up; and (ii) whether tagging could reduce the need for invasive endoscopic
procedures in patients with carcinoma of the oesophagus. Materials and methods. Twenty-nine patients with carcinoma of the oesophagus selected for radiation therapy underwent
the 99mTc sucralfate scintimaging prior to radiation therapy. Patients were asked to
drink 10 ml suspension of 10 mci 99mTc sucralfate. The sequential images of the oesophagus were acquired at 2 minutes, 2 hours, 4 hours and 6 hours following ingestion.
In some patients images were also acquired at 24 hours and at follow-up. The comparison was done with endoscopy as the gold standard. Results and observations. The overall
positivity of the test was 83% at 4 hours (24 of 29 patients), 34% at 6 hours (10 of 29
patients) and 24% at 24 hours (7 of 29 patients). The sensitivity of the test was 85%, and the positive predictive value 50%. Conclusion. Due to low positive predictive
value, this investigation cannot replace endoscopy to diagnose ulcerative disease in patients with carcinoma of the oesophagus.
South African Journal of Radiology Vol. 9 (4) 2005: pp. 17-20
