Role of technetium tetrofosmin scintimammography in the diagnosis of malignant breast masses and axillary lymph node involvement: a comparative study with mammography and histopathology.

OBJECTIVE

To assess the role of Technetium-99m (99mTc) tetrofosmin scintimammography in the detection of breast cancer and involvement of axillary nodes.

DESIGN

Open study.

SETTING

General hospital, Turkey.

SUBJECTS: 128 women who presented with masses in the breast.

INTERVENTIONS: Scintimammography, standard mammography, and either excision or fine-needle aspiration biopsy to confirm the diagnosis.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive value of scintimammography compared with mammography.

RESULTS

Sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive value (%) of 99mTc scintimammography were 95, 96, 97 and 92, respectively. The corresponding figures for standard mammography were 87, 26, 68 and 52. Scintimammography changed the 34 false positive mammograms into true negatives, at the expense of four false negatives. The sensitivity of scintimammography in detecting axillary lymph node metastases was 72% and specificity 100%.

CONCLUSION

Scintimammography with 99mTc tetrofosmin seems to be of value in the detection of breast malignancy and axillary metastases. It may help to avoid unnecessary operations in patients whose mammograms do not give a definite diagnosis.