Diagnostic value of I-131 NP-59 SPECT/CT scintigraphy in patients with subclinical or atypical features of primary aldosteronism

J Biomed Biotechnol. 2011:2011:209787. doi: 10.1155/2011/209787. Epub 2011 Apr 7.

Abstract

Accumulating evidence has shown the adverse effect of long-term hyperaldosteronism on cardiovascular morbidity that is independent of blood pressure. However, the diagnosis of primary aldosteronism (PA) remains a challenge for patients who present with subtle or atypical features or have chronic kidney disease (CKD). SPECT/CT has proven valuable in the diagnosis of a number of conditions. The aim of this study was to determine the usefulness of I-131 NP-59 SPECT/CT in patients with atypical presentations of PA and in those with CKD. The records of 15 patients with PA were retrospectively analyzed. NP-59 SPECT/CT was able to identify adrenal lesion(s) in CKD patients with suspected PA. Patients using NP-59 SPECT/CT imaging, compared with those not performing this procedure, significantly featured nearly normal serum potassium levels, normal aldosterone-renin ratio, and smaller adrenal size on CT and pathological examination and tended to feature stage 1 hypertension and non-suppressed plasma renin activity. These findings show that noninvasive NP-59 SPECT/CT is a useful tool for diagnosis in patients with subclinical or atypical features of PA and those with CKD.

MeSH terms

  • Adosterol*
  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Case-Control Studies
  • Demography
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Hyperaldosteronism / diagnostic imaging*
  • Hyperaldosteronism / pathology
  • Iodine Radioisotopes
  • Male
  • Mass Screening
  • Middle Aged
  • Radionuclide Imaging
  • Reproducibility of Results
  • Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon*
  • Tomography, X-Ray Computed*
  • Treatment Outcome

Substances

  • Iodine Radioisotopes
  • Adosterol