Nuklearmedizin 2009; 48(03): 100-103
DOI: 10.3413/nukmed-0205
Original article
Schattauer GmbH

99mTc sestamibi imaging

Can it be a useful substitute for hepatobiliary scintigraphy in infantile jaundice?9mTc-Sestamibi-BildgebungEin Ersatz für die hepatobiliäre Szintigraphie bei kindlichem Ikterus?
R. Sadeghi
1   Nuclear Medicine Department, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
,
H. R. Kianifar
2   Paediatric Department, Ghaem hospital, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
,
V. R. D. Kakhki
1   Nuclear Medicine Department, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
,
R. Zakavi
1   Nuclear Medicine Department, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
,
K. Ansari
3   Nuclear Medicine Department, Shariati hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran +
› Author Affiliations
Further Information

Publication History

received: 16 August 2008

accepted in revised form: 28 March 2008

Publication Date:
22 January 2018 (online)

Summary

Aim: Hepatobiliary scintigraphy is an integral part in the diagnostic work-up of the neonatal cholestasis syndrome. However, less than optimal specificity is its major disadvantage. Differentiation between biliary atresia and neonatal hepatitis is nearly impossible in some cases with poor hepatocellular function. 99mTc sestamibi (MIBI) is a cationic lipophilic agent which is a substrate of P-glycoprotein. This glycoprotein is normally expressed in biliary canalicular surfaces of hepatocytes. This property provides a hepatic excretory mechanism which is different from bilirubin excretion. In this study we evaluated the value of 99mTc MIBI in differential diagnosis of neonatal cholestasis. Patients, methods: 20 infants with a mean age of 2.41 months (range, 0.1–5 months) were included in the study. Ten infants turned out to have extrahepatic biliary atresia and the other ten had neonatal hepatitis. Hepatobiliary (with 99mTc BrIDA) and 99mTc MIBI scintigraphy were performed for all the patients. Results: 99mTc MIBI scintigraphy has shown bowel activity in all patients, including the patients with biliary atresia. Hepatobiliary scintigraphy revealed bowel activity only in five patients with neo natal hepatitis. Conclusion: Bowel visualization with 99mTc MIBI may be seen in patients with biliary atresia and 99mTc MIBI has limited value in differential diagnosis of neonatal chole stasis.

Zusammenfassung

Ziel: Die hepatobiliäre Szintigraphie ist wesentlicher diagnostischer Bestandteil beim neonatalen cholestatischen Syndrom. Ihr größter Nachteil ist die suboptimale Spezifität. Eine Differenzierung zwischen Gallengangsatresie und neonataler Hepatitis ist in manchen Fällen mit eingeschränkter Leberfunktion fast unmöglich. 99mTc- Sestamibi (MIBI ), ein lipophiles Kation, ist ein Substrat des P-Glykoproteins. Dieses Glykoprotein wird normalerweise auf der Oberfläche der Gallenkanälchen der Hepatozyten exprimiert. Daraus ergibt sich ein von der Bilirubinaus - scheidung differierender hepatischer Exkretionsmechanismus. In dieser Studie untersuchten wir die Bedeutung von 99mTc-MIBI für die Differenzialdiagnose der neonatalen Cholestase. Patienten, Methoden: 20 Kinder, mittleres Alter 2,41 (0,1–5) Monate, nahmen an der Studie teil. 10 Kinder hatten eine extra hepatische Gallengangsatresie, die anderen 10 eine neonatale Hepatitis. Bei allen Patienten wurden eine hepatobiliäre (mit 99mTc-BrIDA) und eine 99mTc-MIBI-Szintigraphie durchgeführt. Ergebnisse: Das 99mTc-MIBISzintigramm zeigte Darmaktivität bei allen Patienten, auch bei denen mit biliärer Atresie, die hepatobiliäre Szintigraphie jedoch nur bei 5 Patienten mit neonataler Hepatitis. Schlussfolgerung: Mit 99mTc-MIBI ist die Darstellung des Darms bei Gallengangsatresie möglich, daher ist 99mTc-MIBI in der Diagnostik der neonatalen Cholestase von begrenztem Wert.

 
  • References

  • 1 Balistreri WF. Neonatal cholestasis. J Pediatr 1985; 106: 171-184.
  • 2 Burton EM, Babcock DS, Heubi JE, Gelfand MJ. Neonatal jaundice: clinical and ultrasonographic findings. South Med J 1990; 83: 294-302.
  • 3 Charearnrad P, Chongsrisawat V, Tepmongkol S, Poovorawan Y. The effect of phenobarbital on the accuracy of technetium-99m diisopropyl iminodiacetic acid hepatobiliary scintigraphy in differentiating biliary atresia from neonatal hepatitis syndrome. J Med Assoc Thai 2003; 86 (Suppl 2) S189-S194.
  • 4 Chin JE, Soffir R, Noonan KE. et al. Structure and expression of the human MDR (P-glycoprotein) gene family. Mol Cell Biol 1989; 9: 3808-3820.
  • 5 Cox KL, Stadalnik RC, McGahan JP. et al. Hepato- biliary scintigraphy with technetium-99m disofe- nin in the evaluation of neonatal cholestasis. J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr 1987; 6: 885-891.
  • 6 Dick MC, Mowat AP. Hepatitis syndrome in infancy: an epidemiologic survey with 10-year follow up. Arch Dis Child 1985; 60: 512-516.
  • 7 Gilmour SM, Hershkop M, Reifen R. et al. Outcome of hepatobiliary scanning in neonatal hepatitis syndrome. J Nucl Med 1997; 38: 1279-1282.
  • 8 Gubernick JA, Rosenberg HK, Ilaslan H, Kessler A. US approach to jaundice in infants and children. Radiographics 2000; 20: 173-195.
  • 9 Gupta DK, Charles AR, Srinivas M. et al. Betametha- sone in plus phenobarbitone prior to hepatobiliary scintigraphy increases diagnostic accuracy in infants with jaundice. Indian J Pediatr 2001; 68: 1039-1041.
  • 10 Kirks DR, Coleman RE, Filston HC. et al. An imaging approach to persistent neonatal jaundice. Am J Roentgenol 1984; 142: 461-465.
  • 11 Larrosa-Haro A, Caro-Lopez AM, Coello-Ramirez P. et al. Duodenal tube test in the diagnosis of biliary atresia. J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr 2001; 32: 311-315.
  • 12 Lee WS. Pre-admission consultation and late referral in infants with neonatal cholestasis. J Paediatr Child Health 2008; 44: 57-61.
  • 13 Lugo Vicente HL. Biliary atresia: an overview. Bol Asoc Med P R 1995; 87: 147-153.
  • 14 Majd M, Reba RC, Altman RP. Effect of phenobarbital on 99mTc-IDA scintigraphy in the evaluation of neonatal jaundice. Semin Nucl Med 1981; 11: 194-204.
  • 15 Mieli-Vergani G, Howard ER, Portman B, Mowat AP. Late referral for biliary atresia: missed oppor- tunities for effective surgery. Lancet 1989; 1: 421-423.
  • 16 Miyano T, Fujimoto T, Ohya T, Shimomura H. Current concept of the treatment of biliary atresia. World J Surg 1993; 17: 332-336.
  • 17 Mowat AP, Davidson LL, Dick MC. Earlier identification of biliary atresia and hepatobiliary disease: selective screening in the third week of life. Arch Dis Child 1995; 72: 90-92.
  • 18 Moyer V, Freese DK, Whitington PF. et al. North American Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition. Guideline for the Evaluation of Cholestatic jaundice in infants: Recommendations of the North American Society for Pediatric Gastroentrology, Hepatology and Nutrition. J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr 2004; 39: 115-128.
  • 19 Nadel HR. Hepatobiliary scintigraphy in children. Semin Nucl Med 1996; 26: 25-42.
  • 20 Park WH, Choi SO, Lee HJ. The ultrasonographic 'triangular cord' coupled with gallbladder images in the diagnostic prediction of biliary atresia from infantile intrahepalic cholestasis. J Pediatr Surg 1999; 34: 1706-1710.
  • 21 Pavelic ZP, Reising J, Pavelic L. et al. Detection of P-glycoprotein with four monoclonal antibodies in normal and tumor tissues. Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 1993; 119: 753-757.
  • 22 Piwnica-Worms D, Chiu ML, Budding M. et al. Functional imaging of multidrug-resistant P-glyco- protein with an organotechnetium complex. Cancer Res. 1993; 53: 1-8.
  • 23 Poddar U, Bhattacharya A, Thapa BR. et al. Ursodeoxycholic acid-augmented hepatobiliary scinti- graphy in the evaluation of neonatal jaundice. J Nucl Med 2004; 45: 1488-1492.
  • 24 Rao VV, Chiu ML, Kronauge JF, Piwnica-Worms D. Expression of recombinant human multidrug resistance P-glycoprotein in insect cells confers decreased accumulation of technetium-99m-sestamibi. J Nucl Med 1994; 35: 510-515.
  • 25 Senmevsim O, Kabasakal L, Selcuk A. et al. 99mTc- MIBI biliary scintigraphy in differential diagnosis of neonatal jaundice: Preliminary results. Eur J Nucl Med Mol Imaging. 2003 30. (suppl 2) S213.
  • 26 Thiebaut F, Tsuruo T, Hamada H. et al. Cellular localization of the multidrug-resistance gene product P-glycoprotein in normal human tissues. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 1987; 84: 7735-7738.
  • 27 Tolia V, Kottamasu SR, Tabassum D, Simpson P. The use of hepatocyte extraction fraction to evaluate neonatal cholestasis. Clin Nucl Med 1999; 24: 655-659.
  • 28 Wackers FJ, Berman DS, Maddahi J. et al. Tech- netium-99m hexakis 2-methoxyisobutyl isonitrile: human biodistribution, dosimetry, safety, and preliminary comparison to thallium-201 for myo- cardial perfusion imaging. J Nucl Med 1989; 30: 301-311.
  • 29 Wynchank S, Guillet J, Leccia F. et al. Biliary atresia and neonatal hepatobiliary scintigraphy. Clin Nucl Med 1984; 25: 360-363.