The clinical usefulness of the fingers-to-palm ratio in different hand microcirculatory abnormalities

Quantitative Scintigraphy Imaging of Lingual Raynaud’s Phenomenon Using 3-Dimensional-Ring Cadmium-Zinc-Telluride Single-Photon Emission Computed Tomography/Computed Tomography

Perfusion scintigraphy with the acquisition of planar blood flow and pool images of bilateral hands has been used to aid diagnosis and to evaluate treatment response to Raynaud’s phenomenon (decreased blood flow to hand or foot). However, because of the difficulty in imaging the tongue area with a conventional gamma camera, perfusion scintigraphy imaging of patients with lingual Raynaud’s phenomenon has yet to be reported. Here, we report the case of a 59-year-old man with lingual Raynaud’s phenomenon in which blood pool imaging of the tongue was performed using three-dimensional (3D)-ring cadmium-zinc-telluride (CZT) single-photon emission computed tomography/computed tomography (SPECT/CT). During follow-up, the patient’s lingual symptoms had worsened, and follow-up blood pool SPECT/CT images also revealed decreased blood pool uptake of the tongue, showing a decreased blood pool of more than 25% on quantitative analysis. This case suggests that blood pool imaging of the tongue using 3D-ring CZT SPECT/CT has clinical significance in evaluating patients with lingual Raynaud’s phenomenon.

Perfusion Scintigraphy for the Evaluation of Patients with Raynaud's Phenomenon

Raynaud's phenomenon (RP) is a functional vascular disorder, which can be defined as transient vasospasm of the peripheral arteries and arterioles in the affected areas exposed to the cold or other stress. The diagnosis of RP is mainly based on symptoms. Perfusion scintigraphy, with or without cold stimulation, can be used to evaluate RP. Studies with perfusion scintigraphy for RP have shown that patients with RP showed lower finger-to-palm ratio than patients without RP. Responses after cold stimulation were also different in patients with RP. Not only decreased perfusion or blood pool after cold stimulation but also paradoxically increased perfusion can be shown in patients with RP. Some studies have shown that primary and secondary RP can be differentiated by perfusion scintigraphy. Correlation between duration of disease and findings on perfusion scintigraphy was reported. Perfusion scintigraphy can show differences before and after treatment as well. However, the protocols for perfusion scintigraphy for PR vary among studies. The standard protocol of perfusion scintigraphy for RP should be established.

Comparison of the diagnostic performances of two protocols of hand perfusion scintigraphy for Raynaud's phenomenon

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to compare the diagnostic performances of two hand perfusion scintigraphy protocols for diagnosing Raynaud's phenomenon (RP).

METHODS

We enrolled 130 patients who underwent hand perfusion scintigraphy for suspected RP and 40 normal controls. Of these, 66 patients (group A) and 25 normal controls underwent 99mTc-methylene diphosphonate hand perfusion scintigraphy without one-hand chilling, and the finger-to-palm ratio (FPR) was calculated. The remaining 64 patients (group B) and 15 normal controls underwent 99mTc-methylene diphosphonate hand perfusion scintigraphy with one-hand chilling, and three parameters (the chilled-to-ambient hand ratios of the first peak height, initial slope, and blood pool uptake) were calculated.

RESULTS

Forty-eight and 47 patients were clinically diagnosed with RP in groups A and B, respectively. In group A, patients with RP had significantly lower FPRs compared with those without RP, and the receiver operating characteristic curve analysis showed that an FPR of 0.51 was the best cutoff value for diagnosing RP, with a sensitivity of 63% and a specificity of 83%. In group B, the three aforementioned parameters differed significantly (lower or higher) between patients with and without RP. The receiver operating characteristic curve analysis provided highly sensitive and specific results for all three parameters. The initial slope ratio showed the highest sensitivity of 87% and a specificity of 88% when using cutoff values of 0.78 and 1.25.

CONCLUSION

Although both protocols for hand perfusion scintigraphy showed high specificity for diagnosing RP, the protocol with one-hand chilling showed higher diagnostic ability compared with that without one-hand chilling.

Hand perfusion with 99mTc-HSA in patients expecting to undergo coronary bypass surgery: elaboration of a new complex diagnostic protocol for the safe removal of a radial artery graft

BACKGROUND

The Allen test is used worldwide for radial artery graft removal. The postoperative examination of our patients' hand function and circulation proved that beside the transient neurological complications chronic hand circulatory disorders may arise.

AIM

To develop a non-invasive method suitable for an objective evaluation of the hand's circulation to make it possible to use radial arteries safely for the revascularization of coronary arteries.

METHODS

We examined 35 patients. After selective compression of the radial and ulnar arteries of both hands, we injected 400 MBq (99m)Tc-HSA intravenously and acquired 240 images, each of 1 s. After 30 s we released the ulnar artery first, and after 120 s the radial artery, too. Then computer analysis was performed.

RESULTS

The patients could be divided into two groups. In the majority of them, releasing only the ulnar artery resulted in a good circulation of the fingers. It meant that the time-activity curve rapidly reached its maximum, and the activity did not change even after releasing the radial artery. In a smaller proportion of the patients the activity of the fingers increased only slowly, and did not reach a plateau even after 30 s. Following the release of the radial artery a further increase in the activity could be observed. We assume that the latter patient group is at risk of consequent circulatory disorder of the fingers after the removal of the radial artery, whereas in the former group the artery could be removed safely.

CONCLUSIONS

Hand perfusion with (99m)Tc-HSA is useful in patients selected for coronary bypass operations, so we recommend the introduction of this method as a routine examination before the removal of the radial artery in patients with an abnormal Allen test.

Raynaud’s Syndrome: comparison of late and early onset forms using hand perfusion scintigraphy

Primary Raynaud's disease is generally a disease of younger females; however, there are cases where symptoms present over the age of 40. These cases are described as late onset. In our current prospective study we compared the characteristics of early and late onset types of primary Raynaud's in 127 patients. In addition to the collection of medical records, we performed capillary-microscopy and hand perfusion scintigraphy using Tc-99 m DTPA to evaluate the microcirculation of each patient's fingers. Regarding the spectrum of the capillary-microscopic findings, we did not find any significant difference between the early and late onset forms. However, in hand perfusion examinations done using Tc-99 m DTPA, we measured a significantly lower finger/palm ratio (FPR) in the early onset group of patients. We also observed a correlation between the duration of the disease and the FPR, as well as between the age and FPR. Longer disease duration resulted in a significantly lower FPR. On the basis of our results, we believe that late onset Raynaud's should be treated as a separate entity. Due to its different characteristics found on examination and follow-up of our patients, functional hand perfusion examination should be recommended independently of the age-related characteristics of the disease.