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Thymic Gallium-67 Localization in Pediatric Patients on Chemotherapy: Concise Communication

College of Pharmacy, University of Oklahoma, Oklahoma City Campus and Oklahoma Children's Memorial Hospital, Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Correspondence: For reprints contact: Garo P. Basmadjian, PhD, College of Pharmacy, Univ. of Oklahoma, Oklahoma City Campus, Oklahoma City, OK 73190.

ABSTRACT

Localization of Ga-67 in the thymus has been reported to occur in children. In our control group of 87 patients, 15% of children under 5 yr and 11% of children over 5 yr demonstrated thymic localization. In contrast, in our study group of seven children with acute lymphocytic leukemia or malignant lymphoma, lymphocytic diffuse, treated on a modified non-Hodgkin's lymphoma protocol, Sloan-Kettering LSA₂-L₂, thymic localization occurred during treatment in five of the seven. We conclude that increased thymic gallium localization in children under chemotherapy for a known malignancy may reflect increased activity of thymic medullary epithelial cells and regeneration of thymic lymphocytes during recovery from involution induced by certain chemotherapeutic agents.