99mTc(V)-dimercaptosuccinic acid scintigraphy in detecting neck metastases in oral squamous cell carcinoma with clinically negative necks

SummaryThis study compares the accuracy of 99mTc(V)-dimercaptosuccinic acid (99mTc(V)-DMSA) Single Photon Emission Computer Tomography (SPECT) by intravenous or local injection in the detection of occult cervical lymph node metastases in clinically N0 squamous cell carcinoma of the oral cavity. Fifty-eight previously untreated patients without clinically detectable cervical metastases were included in the study and were divided into two groups. Twenty-eight patients were in the intravenous injection group and 30 patients were in the local injection (around primary tumors) group. Both groups received 99mTc(V)-DMSA, and 99mTc(V)-DMSA SPECT was performed on all patients. All isolated lymph nodes in neck dissection specimens were stained using H & E. The sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy for intravenous injection of 99mTc(V)-DMSA was 62.5%, 95.0%, and 85.7%, respective, and 84.6%, 82.4%, and 83.3%, respectively, for local injection. SPECT scan of 99mTc(V)-DMSA injected around the tumor is a simple and efficient approach to detecting metastatic lymph nodes in clinically N0 patients with oral cancer.