Immunoscintigraphic detection of metastasis in malignant melanoma in the head and neck area

The value of immunoscintigraphy in patients with metastatic malignant melanoma of the head and neck is compared with clinical, radiological and histological findings. 25 immunoscintigraphic examinations in 16 patients were evaluated. Scintigraphy was performed during primary and follow-up diagnosis of head and neck melanoma of the skin (n = 8), nose and sinuses (n = 3), petrosal bone (n = 1) and sclera (n = 1) as well as in cervical lymph node metastases of distant melanoma (n = 2) and melanoma of an unknown primary tumour (n = 1). Immunoscintigraphy was performed with 99mTc-radiolabelled melanoma specific antibodies against a melanoma-associated cell membrane-bound antigen (glycopolypeptide). The sensitivity of the method was 88%, specificity was 80%. The prior significance of immunoscintigraphy is based on the detection of occult cervical lymph node metastases not detectable by means of palpation and radiography. Pulmonary and liver manifestations could not be safely identified due to the physiological enhanced blood pool in these organs. The results obtained indicate that immunoscintigraphy may yield more information about the status of pathologically altered tissue and in certain cases may influence the therapeutic procedure.