Imaging of tumours in the parotid region with indium-111 labelled monoclonal antibody reacting with carcinoembryonic antigen.

Twenty-nine consecutive patients with palpable unilateral tumour in the parotid gland region were examined by planar scintigraphy at 22-28 h after injection of 111In-labelled monoclonal anti-CEA-antibody. Two patients were also examined with emission tomography. Twenty-seven of the patients were operated on within 2-3 weeks. The serum CEA concentration was measured in 28 of the patients and was normal in all of them. Ten patients had positive scans and six of these had histologically malignant tumours; only four of the tumours with positive immunoscintigram were stainable immunohistochemically with anti-CEA. No patient with negative scintigram had parotid malignancy.