Contribution of thallium-201-SPECT to the grading of tumorous alterations of the brain

✍ Scribed by Rüdiger Burkard; Klaus Peter Kaiser; Helmut Wieler; Peter Klawki; Axel Linkamp; Lutz Mittelbach; Thomas Göller

• Publisher: Springer-Verlag
• Year: 1992
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 806 KB
• Volume: 15
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0344-5607
• DOI: 10.1007/bf00257803

✦ Synopsis

Single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) with thallium-201-chloride (201Tl) was used in 22 patients to assess the grade of malignancy of brain tumors. Low- and high-grade malignant gliomas could be well differentiated by calculating the Grade Index (GI), i.e., 201Tl uptake in the tumor area relative to a contralateral brain region. Low-grade gliomas (WHO-grade I-II) usually showed a GI of < 1.5. Tumors classified histologically as high-grade malignant (WHO-grade III-IV) had GI values greater than 1.42 and a mean value of 1.89. Until labelled amino-acid tracers for gamma-cameras become commercially available, thallium-201 brain-SPECT can provide an independent and complementary method to CT/MRI for the differential diagnosis of grading of brain tumors. This simple technique can help to reduce sampling errors during needle biopsies of brain tumors, particularly of high-grade lesions incorrectly graded as low-grade tumors due to inadequate biopsy material. In addition, pre- and post-therapy studies can influence the strategy of therapy itself and allow an early detection of recurrences.