67Ga citrate scintigraphy

One hundred and four gallium-67 citrate scintigrams were performed on patients with a diagnosis of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Of the 65 patients who had tumors present at the time of scintigraphy, 60 were diagnosed correctly, 92 percent. The false rate for normal findings was 5 out of 40, 12.5 percent, and the false rate for positive findings was 4 out of 64, 6.3 percent. Overall, the gallium-67 scan detected the tumor in 124 out of 158 anatomic sites involved, 78.5 percent. Tumor in intra-abdominal parenchymal organs and the spleen had generally low sensitivity. No difference in reliability was noted by cell type with 4 out of 40, 10 percent, incorrect scans with nodular lymphoma and 5 out of 64, 8 percent, with diffuse type. Prior radiation and/or chemotherapy did not appear to affect accuracy. Gallium-67 scintigraphic examinations are useful in documenting recurrence and response in non-Hodgkin's lymphoma although its value in initial staging of the disease is limited