Radiation absorbed doses in the event of balloon rupture (BR) during endovascular brachytherapy (EB) using 188Re-perrhenate

Full text: endovascular brachytherapy (EB) using liquid or solid radiation sources, is an effective emerging therapy for coronary artery disease. Liquid sources provide uniform radiation dose to the vessel wall. However the radiation burden in the unlikely event of BR is not insignificant. The aims of this study were to determine i) absorbed dose for various 188Re radiopharmaceuticals in the event of BR, and ii) effects of thyroid uptake blocking agent, Lugol's iodine (Ll) and/or bladder catheterisation (BC). Dose calculations were based on MIRDOSE 3.1 with dynamic bladder model and MIRD Dose Estimate Report No.8 for 99Tcm-pertechnetate, which has similar biokinetic properties to 188Re-perrhenate. Normal renal function and a bladder voiding interval of 4.8h (1 minute with catheter) were assumed. BR was simulated ex-vivo by puncturing a Solaris angioplasty balloon filled with normal saline at 4 atm. LI, MAG3 and DTPA substantially reduces the radiation dose following BR, particularly to the thyroid, and BC reduces the bladder wall dose. Only the contents of the balloon leaked; 0.4 ml of the total volume of 1.8ml. As binding of 188Re to ligands is cumbersome, we opted to use LI. Twenty five patients with in-stent re-stenosis have been treated using 188Re-perrhenate (8 GBq/ml), with no BR. Copyright (2000) The Australian and New Zealand Society of Nuclear Medicine Inc