Preoperative diagnosis of orbital cavernous hemangioma: a 99mTc-RBC SPECT study.

Luca Burroni, Giulia Borsari, Patrizia Pichierri, Ennio Polito, Olga Toscano, Gaia Grassetto, Adil Al-Nahhas, Domenico Rubello, Angelo Giuseppe Vattimo

Department of Nuclear Medicine, University of Siena, Santa Maria alle Scotte Hospital, Siena, Italy.

Clinical nuclear medicine 2012 Nov

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This study aimed to describe 99mTc-labeled RBC scintigraphy as a diagnostic method for orbital cavernous hemangiomas and to evaluate this diagnostic tool according to surgical outcomes. Fifty-five patients with clinical and radiological (US, CT, and/or MRI) suspicion of unilateral cavernous hemangioma of the orbit underwent 99mTc-RBC SPECT study.Qualitative and semiquantitative evaluations were performed, and results were statistically analyzed. SPECT images showed focal uptake in the orbital mass in 36 of 55 patients. Nineteen patients had a negative scintigraphic pattern, with concordance of early and late absence of uptake of 99mTc-RBC.Our procedure showed 100% sensitivity and 88.9% specificity for the diagnosis of orbital cavernous hemangioma, with a positive predictive value of 90.9% and a negative predictive value of 100%. 99mTc-RBC imaging is safe, easy to perform, and highly accurate in providing adequate clinical and surgical management. As a noninvasive and highly specific method for diagnosing orbital hemangioma, 99mTc-RBC scintigraphy can avoid more invasive imaging or biopsy.

Citation

Luca Burroni, Giulia Borsari, Patrizia Pichierri, Ennio Polito, Olga Toscano, Gaia Grassetto, Adil Al-Nahhas, Domenico Rubello, Angelo Giuseppe Vattimo. Preoperative diagnosis of orbital cavernous hemangioma: a 99mTc-RBC SPECT study. Clinical nuclear medicine. 2012 Nov;37(11):1041-6