Schwannoma of the extremities: comparison of MRI and pentavalent technetium-99m-dimercaptosuccinic acid and gallium-67-citrate scintigraphy

J Nucl Med. 1994 Jul;35(7):1174-8.

Abstract

The diagnostic value of MRI and scintigraphy was studied in patients with Schwannomas of the upper or lower extremities. MRI (T1- and T2-weighted imaging), pentavalent 99mTc-dimercaptosuccinic acid and 67Ga-citrate scintigraphy were performed in 11 patients with 12 histologically proven benign Schwannomas. All six tumors with a maximum diameter > or = 3 cm showed marked accumulation of pentavalent 99mTc-dimercaptosuccinic acid, whereas they showed no uptake of 67Ga-citrate. MRI detected all of the tumors, and the lesions had a signal intensity equal to or slightly less than that of skeletal muscle on T1-weighted images and hyperintense to that of subcutaneous fat on T2-weighted images. MRI was superior to detect small Schwannomas of the extremities. A positive 99mTc-dimercaptosuccinic acid scan and a negative 67Ga-citrate scan however is useful to distinguish sarcoma with myxoid change from Schwannoma.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Citrates*
  • Citric Acid
  • Extremities* / diagnostic imaging
  • Extremities* / pathology
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging*
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Neurilemmoma / diagnosis*
  • Neurilemmoma / diagnostic imaging
  • Organotechnetium Compounds*
  • Radionuclide Imaging
  • Succimer*
  • Technetium Tc 99m Dimercaptosuccinic Acid

Substances

  • Citrates
  • Organotechnetium Compounds
  • Citric Acid
  • Technetium Tc 99m Dimercaptosuccinic Acid
  • Succimer