[Value of isotope diagnosis in diseases of the ENT area. Status, development and trends].

The nuclear medical diagnostic procedures listed in this article demonstrate the continual change in the significance of modern and recent techniques. The definition of the current status may be as short-lived as some radioisotopes. The tendencies are determined by aspects of radiological hygiene and the development of new technical procedures and the preference of in-vitro-examinations over in-vivo-diagnostic. On the other hand progress in immunology using labelled antibodies opens new possibilities in diagnosis and therapy. Although these possibilities are still somewhat visionary, they have already been translated into reality by experiment. For examination of thyroids further progress in sonography can be expected. In special problems tests using iodine isotopes with short half-lives and consequently lower radiation exposure will be used. At the moment the combination of technetium scintigram with sonography seems optimal and should if possible applied by the same hand. Scintigraphy of salivary gland and of cerebrospinal fluid have their unquestioned position. Brain scintigraphy has lost its importance but may reappear as an examination method using specially labelled agents for research of cerebral metabolism. The position of bone scintigraphy is similar. Its use is still justified when searching for skeletal changes which may not be seen in classical radiology. The knowledge of disturbance of local osseous metabolical disturbances does not give a specific information on the cause but demonstrates the site of disorder. Contrary its present ranking, important developments are to be expected from tumour scintigraphy. Isotope angiography, isotope lymphography and ventilation scintigraphy are to be employed when special questions arise, especially in fundamental research and for controls of therapeutic concepts.