Dustin R Osborne, Amy M Swinson, Taylor R Gillespie, Derek Cressy, Christopher Stephens, Mohammed Imran Quraishi, Yitong Fu
{"title":"Activity Delivery and Radiation Exposure in <sup>177</sup>Lu-Based Therapies: Prospective Evaluation of a Single-Puncture Closed System with Programmable Infusion.","authors":"Dustin R Osborne, Amy M Swinson, Taylor R Gillespie, Derek Cressy, Christopher Stephens, Mohammed Imran Quraishi, Yitong Fu","doi":"10.2967/jnmt.126.272098","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2967/jnmt.126.272098","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Radiopharmaceutical therapies often require various manipulations of the activity vial before administration. Increased manipulation increases vial contamination and radiation exposure risk. This study evaluates a single-puncture, closed-system method using a ChemoClave-linked infusion pump (referred to as CLIP) to reduce exposure and automate workflow when delivering <sup>177</sup>Lu-based therapies. <b>Methods:</b> A prospective study compared manual syringe withdrawal to the CLIP system over two 4-mo periods. The primary outcome was staff radiation exposure. Secondary outcomes included preparation time, residual activity, and staff satisfaction. Other methods were not evaluated because previous studies had already reported their dose savings compared with manual syringe withdrawal. <b>Results:</b> Sixty-nine administrations were analyzed for both radiation exposure and residual activity (24 manual, 45 CLIP). The CLIP system achieved substantial reductions in radiation exposure: chest doses decreased 85% (1.10 to 0.16 mrem/administration, <i>P</i> < 0.001) and finger doses decreased 91% (7.79 to 0.68 mrem/administration, <i>P</i> < 0.001). Delivery consistency improved significantly, with the coefficient of variation decreasing from 77% to 23%. Preparation time remained comparable (201 ± 15 s vs. 202 ± 12 s). <b>Conclusion:</b> Single-puncture closed-system technology provides exceptional potential for the reduction of radiation exposure (85%-91%) while improving delivery consistency and maintaining efficiency. These results support consideration as a new standard method for <sup>177</sup>Lu administration.</p>","PeriodicalId":16548,"journal":{"name":"Journal of nuclear medicine technology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2026-08-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148701387","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Amanda E Roby, Lindsey Harmon, Kelly Sander, Nils P Johnson, K Lance Gould
{"title":"Simplified <sup>18</sup>F-FDG PET Myocardial Viability Preparation Protocol Reduces Hypoglycemia and Improves Workflow Efficiency While Maintaining Image Quality.","authors":"Amanda E Roby, Lindsey Harmon, Kelly Sander, Nils P Johnson, K Lance Gould","doi":"10.2967/jnmt.126.272570","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2967/jnmt.126.272570","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p><sup>18</sup>F-FDG PET viability imaging is commonly used to identify hibernating myocardium in patients with ischemic epicardial disease. Patient preparation protocols typically rely on glucose loading and insulin to stimulate myocardial glucose metabolism. However, these methods often require multiple blood glucose (BG) measurements, variable insulin dosing, prolonged preparation times, risk of hypoglycemia, and disruption of clinical workflows. We developed a simplified <sup>18</sup>F-FDG myocardial viability protocol to activate myocardial glucose uptake while minimizing hypoglycemia risk and improving workflow efficiency without sacrificing image quality. <b>Methods:</b> <sup>18</sup>F-FDG myocardial viability studies performed between 2007 and 2025 were retrospectively analyzed. The 100 most recent studies using a conventional preparation protocol based on the American Society of Nuclear Cardiology guidelines were compared with 100 studies performed after implementation of a simplified protocol. The new protocol combines simultaneous glucose loading and intravenous insulin administration without requiring a specific BG target before <sup>18</sup>F-FDG injection. Primary endpoints were hypoglycemia incidence (≤4.7 mmol/L [≤85 mg/dL]) and image quality. Secondary endpoints included time to <sup>18</sup>F-FDG injection, total examination duration, number of BG measurements, and repeat imaging as a result of persistent blood-pool activity. Image quality was visually assessed using a 5-category grading system and quantitatively using <sup>18</sup>F-FDG-to-rest perfusion and <sup>18</sup>F-FDG peak-to-center activity ratios. <b>Results:</b> Hypoglycemia decreased from 21% with the conventional protocol to 3% with the simplified protocol (<i>P</i> < 0.001). The time from the first BG measurement to the <sup>18</sup>F-FDG injection (i.e., time to <sup>18</sup>F-FDG injection) decreased from 87 ± 36 min to 65 ± 17 min (<i>P</i> < 0.001). Total imaging time decreased from 175 ± 41 min to 144 ± 25 min (<i>P</i> < 0.001), representing a mean reduction of 31 min. The number of BG measurements decreased from 8 ± 2 to 4 ± 1 (<i>P</i> < 0.001). Persistent blood-pool activity beyond 90 min decreased from 11% to 6% (<i>P</i> = 0.2). Across the full cohort of 955 studies, the simplified protocol improved the proportion of good-or-better image quality from 81% to 87% (<i>P</i> = 0.03) and reduced the rate of poor or nondiagnostic studies from 5.4% to 1% (<i>P</i> < 0.001). Quantitative image quality metrics showed strong agreement with visual assessment (area under the concentration curve, >0.9). <b>Conclusion:</b> This simplified <sup>18</sup>F-FDG PET viability preparation protocol reduced hypoglycemia, shortened preparation and imaging times, decreased glucose monitoring requirements, and maintained or improved image quality. The protocol provides a safer, more efficient approach for myocardial viability imaging.</p>","PeriodicalId":16548,"journal":{"name":"Journal of nuclear medicine technology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2026-07-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148549406","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Mehdi Djekidel, Lillian Dominguez-Konicki, Medhat Osman, Peter J H Scott, Gholam Reza Berenji
{"title":"Current Status of Clinical <sup>177</sup>Lu-PSMA Radiopharmaceutical Therapies: Insights from a Survey of High-End Nuclear Medicine Theranostic Centers.","authors":"Mehdi Djekidel, Lillian Dominguez-Konicki, Medhat Osman, Peter J H Scott, Gholam Reza Berenji","doi":"10.2967/jnmt.126.272466","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2967/jnmt.126.272466","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Radiopharmaceutical therapy (RPT) is becoming a cornerstone of cancer treatments with the approval of <sup>177</sup>Lu-PSMA (Pluvicto; Novartis), <sup>177</sup>Lu-DOTATATE (Lutathera; Novartis), and <sup>223</sup>Ra-dichloride (Xofigo; Bayer). An even larger number of treatments with different isotopes and biologic targets are being studied and promise a revolution in oncology care. However, the Food and Drug Administration's approval of <sup>177</sup>Lu-PSMA RPT in the prechemotherapy space has raised concerns regarding access, logistics, supply, quality of care, and workforce challenges. <b>Methods:</b> To understand the current and future landscapes and to advocate for best patient care practices in the setting of prostate-specific membrane antigen-targeted RPT (PSMA RPT), the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging Theranostics Leadership and Operations Group surveyed its members to explore the demand for PSMA RPT and the capacity and preparedness of the centers providing this therapy. <b>Results:</b> Survey results indicated that the glass is half-full, with nuclear medicine therapy centers meeting current challenges in various aspects of PSMA RPT including logistics, capacity, infrastructure, access, reimbursement, imaging, and clinical care. Eighty-six percent stated that they have a comprehensive consult with their patients, 83% reported that they ordered and managed their patient's initial and follow-up blood work, and 83% reported that reimbursement was satisfactory. Although 86% had no concerns managing their current volume, this dropped to 52% when queried about concerns regarding their capacity to handle PSMA RPT volume in the future, noting various challenges including staffing (physicians, technicians, and nurses), a limited number of treatment rooms, and limited access to SPECT/CT for posttherapy imaging. <b>Conclusion:</b> Survey results indicate the glass is half-full, with nuclear medicine therapy centers meeting current challenges in various aspects of PSMA RPT, including logistics, capacity, infrastructure, access, reimbursement, imaging, and clinical care. Future needs of nuclear medicine theranostics can be met with proper planning, vision, and effort.</p>","PeriodicalId":16548,"journal":{"name":"Journal of nuclear medicine technology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2026-07-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148549417","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Maintenance-Induced Configuration Drift in Nuclear Medicine Quality Control: The Role of Technologists and Site Engineers.","authors":"Hiroshi Yamaguchi","doi":"10.2967/jnmt.126.272307","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2967/jnmt.126.272307","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Maintenance-induced configuration drift detected during a 3-lot validation study is described, highlighting the role of nuclear medicine technologists and site engineers in its resolution. A radio-high-performance liquid chromatography system was used during validation of a new positron-emitting radiopharmaceutical. After routine maintenance, reduced peak intensity was observed despite otherwise normal operation. An investigation was conducted by nuclear medicine technologists and site engineers. The reduced peak intensity was traced to an unintended shift in the detector energy window from the standard 511 keV to approximately 400 keV. Peak intensities decreased to approximately 40%-60% of expected values. Restoration of the correct setting recovered normal performance. Maintenance may introduce configuration drift that is not detected through routine operational checks. Postmaintenance verification by nuclear medicine technologists is important, particularly during validation studies.</p>","PeriodicalId":16548,"journal":{"name":"Journal of nuclear medicine technology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2026-07-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148549473","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Relapsed Retinoblastoma with Late Skeletal Metastasis in a Pediatric Patient.","authors":"Zeeshan Sikandar, Mairah Razi, Nadia Nazir","doi":"10.2967/jnmt.126.272363","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2967/jnmt.126.272363","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Retinoblastoma is the most common pediatric intraocular malignancy and rarely presents with distant metastases. We present the case of a 6-y-old boy with unilateral retinoblastoma who developed extensive skeletal and bone marrow metastases 3.5 y after initial successful treatment. Imaging demonstrated multifocal involvement of the skull, long bones, and pelvic bones. Bone marrow biopsy confirmed metastatic round blue cell tumor compatible with retinoblastoma, with no cerebrospinal fluid involvement. This case highlights the risk of late osseous metastasis in relapsed retinoblastoma and emphasizes the role of multimodality imaging and pathologic confirmation for accurate diagnosis and management.</p>","PeriodicalId":16548,"journal":{"name":"Journal of nuclear medicine technology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2026-07-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148549457","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Kiflom Gebreslassea, Nikhat Mansoori, Travis Loux, Javad Saghebi, Razi Muzaffar, Medhat M Osman
{"title":"Renal Function During and After <sup>177</sup>Lu-PSMA-617 Therapy in Patients with Metastatic Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer.","authors":"Kiflom Gebreslassea, Nikhat Mansoori, Travis Loux, Javad Saghebi, Razi Muzaffar, Medhat M Osman","doi":"10.2967/jnmt.126.272396","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2967/jnmt.126.272396","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Radiopharmaceutical therapy with <sup>177</sup>Lu-PSMA-617 is an established treatment for metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer. Because the radiotracer is cleared renally, the kidneys receive measurable radiation exposure, requiring routine monitoring of renal function before each treatment cycle and after therapy. Understanding renal function trends during successive cycles, particularly in patients with comorbidities and preexisting renal impairment, is clinically important for treatment planning and safety assessment. This study evaluated renal function stability using longitudinal changes in estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and serum creatinine during and shortly after therapy. <b>Methods:</b> We retrospectively analyzed 56 patients treated between 2022 and 2025 who received at least 2 cycles of <sup>177</sup>Lu-PSMA-617. Renal function was measured at baseline, during each treatment cycle, and 6-8 wk after therapy. Comorbidities such as hypertension and diabetes mellitus were recorded. Changes over time were evaluated using patient trajectory plots and multilevel linear regression to determine trends across cycles. Renal toxicity was graded using Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events guidelines. <b>Results:</b> Among 56 patients, 44.6% had normal renal function, 35.7% had mild impairment, and 19.6% had moderate impairment at baseline. Hypertension and diabetes mellitus were present in 96.4% and 60.7%, respectively. After adjustment for these comorbidities, renal function remained stable across treatment cycles. Only 1 patient with moderate baseline renal impairment developed grade 3 renal toxicity. Overall, the eGFR showed no significant cycle-related change. Patients with normal or mild impairment had stable eGFR, whereas those with moderate impairment demonstrated a greater but nonsignificant decline. Serum creatinine was also generally stable, though a significant increase was noted in patients with moderate renal impairment. <b>Conclusion:</b> <sup>177</sup>Lu-PSMA-617 demonstrated a favorable short-term renal safety profile, with renal function remaining stable across treatment cycles in patients with normal or mildly impaired baseline kidney function. Patients with moderate baseline impairment showed modest increases in serum creatinine without a significant decline in eGFR. Longer-term studies are warranted to evaluate delayed renal effects.</p>","PeriodicalId":16548,"journal":{"name":"Journal of nuclear medicine technology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2026-07-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148549409","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Development of a Phantom for Evaluating Image Quality and Partial-Volume Effects in Hot and Cold Regions in Small-Animal SPECT and PET.","authors":"Takayuki Shibutani, Masahisa Onoguchi","doi":"10.2967/jnmt.125.271314","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2967/jnmt.125.271314","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The partial-volume effect (PVE) is a major factor affecting quantitative accuracy in small-animal SPECT and PET imaging, leading to underestimation of activity in hot-rod images and overestimation in cold-rod images. However, a phantom capable of assessing image quality, including the PVE in both hot and cold regions, has not been available. This study aimed to determine whether a newly developed phantom can accurately evaluate image quality, including the PVE of hot- and cold-rod images, in small-animal SPECT and PET systems. <b>Methods:</b> The phantom consisted of a cylindric pool and rod sections. The rod section included 6 hot rods and 6 cold rods with diameters of 1-6 mm. The rod and pool sections were filled with solutions containing <sup>99m</sup>Tc and <sup>18</sup>F, respectively. In the hot-rod section, the radioactive concentration ratio between rods and background was set to 4:1. Images were acquired for 30 min and reconstructed with a voxel size of 0.8 mm using a pixel-based ordered-subset expectation maximization algorithm. Image contrast, absolute and inverse recovery coefficients (RCs) (indicators of the PVE), and percent coefficient of variation (%CV) and signal-to-noise ratio (indicators of uniformity) were evaluated for both hot and cold rods. <b>Results:</b> The contrast of the hot rod for <sup>99m</sup>Tc and <sup>18</sup>F showed lower values with decreasing rod diameters. Furthermore, the <sup>99m</sup>Tc image demonstrated a higher contrast than the <sup>18</sup>F image and approached the true contrast. The cold-rod contrasts with <sup>99m</sup>Tc and <sup>18</sup>F followed a similar trend. The RCs of <sup>99m</sup>Tc and <sup>18</sup>F were lower as rod diameters decreased. The radioactive concentration in the 40-mm pool section was similar to that of the 6-mm hot rod for both radionuclides. The inverse RC was lower with a decreasing cold-rod diameter. Moreover, cold-rod images with <sup>18</sup>F demonstrated lower inverse RCs than with <sup>99m</sup>Tc. The %CVs for the <sup>99m</sup>Tc and <sup>18</sup>F images were 3.49% ± 0.03% and 6.29% ± 0.07%, respectively, with the <sup>99m</sup>Tc image displaying a lower %CV compared with the <sup>18</sup>F image. <b>Conclusion:</b> We developed a phantom that allows the evaluation of physical phenomena in small-animal SPECT and PET images, providing reliable assessment of image contrast, PVE, and uniformity in both hot and cold rods.</p>","PeriodicalId":16548,"journal":{"name":"Journal of nuclear medicine technology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2026-06-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148308519","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Sanket Karangutkar, Athar Haroon, Ahmed Abdalla Ahmed Elramadi
{"title":"<sup>18</sup>F-NaF PET/CT Versus <sup>18</sup>F-FDG PET/CT for Baseline Mapping in Ollier Disease: A Pediatric Case.","authors":"Sanket Karangutkar, Athar Haroon, Ahmed Abdalla Ahmed Elramadi","doi":"10.2967/jnmt.126.272370","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2967/jnmt.126.272370","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Ollier disease is a rare skeletal dysplasia characterized by multifocal enchondromas and a 5%-50% lifetime risk of malignant transformation to chondrosarcoma. Whole-body mapping is essential for surveillance. <sup>18</sup>F-FDG PET/CT shows limited sensitivity because of low glycolytic activity and physiologic uptake. This case highlights the superior performance of <sup>18</sup>F-NaF PET/CT for osteoblastic lesion detection and anatomic delineation in a pediatric patient with <i>IDH1</i>-mutated Ollier disease.</p>","PeriodicalId":16548,"journal":{"name":"Journal of nuclear medicine technology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2026-06-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148308435","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Incidental Detection of Aggressive HER2-Positive Breast Cancer on <sup>99m</sup>Tc-Sestamibi Parathyroid Scintigraphy.","authors":"Mayada Elmakki, Rawy Alasaly, Ghulam Syed","doi":"10.2967/jnmt.126.272186","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2967/jnmt.126.272186","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>A 71-y-old woman with primary hyperparathyroidism underwent <sup>99m</sup>Tc-sestamibi SPECT/CT for preoperative localization. The study showed a left inferior parathyroid adenoma and, on extended field-of-view review, an intensely <sup>99m</sup>Tc-sestamibi-avid 1.5-cm lesion in the left breast. Diagnostic mammography and ultrasonography classified the lesion as Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System category 5, prompting a core biopsy that revealed Nottingham grade 3 invasive ductal carcinoma of no special type (human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 [HER2] overexpression [3+]), with a Ki-67 index of 80%. After sentinel lymph node mapping, the patient underwent wide local excision and sentinel lymph node biopsy. Final pathology demonstrated a 1.9-cm grade 3 carcinoma with associated ductal carcinoma in situ and a 1-mm nodal micrometastasis identified in a sentinel lymph node. She completed adjuvant chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and HER2-targeted therapy, with no recurrence at 2-y follow-up. This case emphasizes deliberate review of the complete hybrid SPECT/CT field of view during parathyroid imaging.</p>","PeriodicalId":16548,"journal":{"name":"Journal of nuclear medicine technology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2026-06-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148308486","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Yuemin Celina Chee, Si Min Chiow, Hian Liang Huang
{"title":"Reducing Formation of Suspected Tracer Microemboli During Preparation of <sup>99m</sup>Tc-Tagged Heat-Damaged Red Blood Cells.","authors":"Yuemin Celina Chee, Si Min Chiow, Hian Liang Huang","doi":"10.2967/jnmt.126.272159","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2967/jnmt.126.272159","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The abnormal placement of splenic tissue is a matter of major clinical significance in situations where it may be mistaken for malignant or metastatic disease, as this can alter patient management or cause the patient to undergo unnecessary invasive procedures. Scintigraphy with <sup>99m</sup>Tc-tagged heat-damaged red blood cells is a useful noninvasive method of identifying splenic tissue. However, the process of preparing and tagging the patient's blood may result in suspected microaggregate-related pulmonary foci after reinjection. We describe the reduction of these pulmonary foci seen on our initial scan with only 100 IU heparin coating in the blood drawing syringe, to 50% (3 of 6 scans) upon increasing heparin coating to 100 IU or 150 IU in the blood drawing and reinjection syringes, to 0% (0 of 5 scans) with 300 IU in each syringe.</p>","PeriodicalId":16548,"journal":{"name":"Journal of nuclear medicine technology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2026-06-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148308472","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}