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Reflections on the Early Years of Nuclear Medicine¹

¹ From the Department of Radiology, Michigan State University, 160 Radiology Bldg, East Lansing, MI 48824. Received August 31, 1999; revision requested October 6; revision received October 26; accepted October 28. Address reprint requests to the author (e-mail: Jim.Potchen@radiology.msu.edu).

View larger version (116K): [in a new window]   Figure 1a. An example of the images from an early 203Hg brain scanning procedure of the type performed at the Peter Bent Brigham Hospital on Dr Donald Matson's patient with glioblastoma multiforme. Increased radioactivity indicates the tumor. Focused collimation provides selective signal detection from the hemisphere closest to the detector. (a) Left-sided view. (b) Frontal view. (c) Right-sided view.

View larger version (137K): [in a new window]   Figure 1b. An example of the images from an early 203Hg brain scanning procedure of the type performed at the Peter Bent Brigham Hospital on Dr Donald Matson's patient with glioblastoma multiforme. Increased radioactivity indicates the tumor. Focused collimation provides selective signal detection from the hemisphere closest to the detector. (a) Left-sided view. (b) Frontal view. (c) Right-sided view.

View larger version (134K): [in a new window]   Figure 1c. An example of the images from an early 203Hg brain scanning procedure of the type performed at the Peter Bent Brigham Hospital on Dr Donald Matson's patient with glioblastoma multiforme. Increased radioactivity indicates the tumor. Focused collimation provides selective signal detection from the hemisphere closest to the detector. (a) Left-sided view. (b) Frontal view. (c) Right-sided view.

View larger version (141K): [in a new window]   Figure 2. Spleen scanning procedures were performed to evaluate questionable splenic enlargement. As indicated in the text, these techniques were developed at Johns Hopkins. This scan shows splenomegaly (S). Rectilinear scanning represents one of the early efforts to depict the spleen in living humans. This was long before CT scanning or magnetic resonance imaging.

View larger version (130K): [in a new window]   Figure 3. This scan depicts a large splenic cyst, which has displaced the active spleen (S) inferiorly. This scan shows the first splenic cyst diagnosed before surgery at Washington University. The radioactive tracer used in these studies was heat-treated radioactive 51Cr-labeled red blood cells.

View larger version (179K): [in a new window]   Figure 4a. A, Blood pool scan in a patient with an enlarged heart, in whom the question was whether or not there was pericardial effusion. These blood pool scanning procedures were used to identify pericardial effusion. Ultrasonography had not yet been developed to accomplish this objective. B, The cardiac silhouette on this radiograph is the same size as the cardiac blood pool on the rectilinear scan, which indicates that the patient had cardiomegaly and not pericardial effusion.

View larger version (116K): [in a new window]   Figure 4b. A, Blood pool scan in a patient with an enlarged heart, in whom the question was whether or not there was pericardial effusion. These blood pool scanning procedures were used to identify pericardial effusion. Ultrasonography had not yet been developed to accomplish this objective. B, The cardiac silhouette on this radiograph is the same size as the cardiac blood pool on the rectilinear scan, which indicates that the patient had cardiomegaly and not pericardial effusion.

View larger version (153K): [in a new window]   Figure 5. Blood pool scan obtained with iodinated 131I serum albumin demonstrates a pericardial effusion (arrow). The pericardial effusion is seen in the space where there is a cardiac silhouette on the radiograph and no evidence of blood flow within the heart (scan is superimposed on the radiograph). This void is caused by the large pericardial effusion.

View larger version (85K): [in a new window]   Figure 6. An early rectilinear lung scan obtained with 131I-labeled macroaggregated albumin particles. Rectilinear scans had a one-to-one relation to anatomic size. These were placed over the chest radiograph to identify aerated lungs in relation to pulmonary perfusion (superimposition on left, radiograph on right). The diaphragmatic motion precluded definitive evaluation of the lung bases. Ventilation scanning had not been developed. This scan was considered to be normal.

View larger version (45K): [in a new window]   Figure 7a. Standard normal lung scans obtained with 99mTc and a gamma camera. (a) Ventilation scan is included to assess ventilated and not just aerated lung, as used to be the case. Multiple-view lung scan delineates the peripheral lung with much greater fidelity than images obtained with rectilinear scanning. (b) Perfusion scan.

View larger version (87K): [in a new window]   Figure 7b. Standard normal lung scans obtained with 99mTc and a gamma camera. (a) Ventilation scan is included to assess ventilated and not just aerated lung, as used to be the case. Multiple-view lung scan delineates the peripheral lung with much greater fidelity than images obtained with rectilinear scanning. (b) Perfusion scan.