Human pancreas scintigraphy using iodine-123-labeled HIPDM and SPECT.

The pancreatic affinity of iodine-123-labeled HIPDM (N,N,N'-trimethyl-N'-(2-hydroxy-3-methyl-5-iodobenzyl)-1,3-propane diamine) ([123I]HIPDM) was studied in 18 cases (5 normal volunteers, 7 cases with pancreas cancer, and 6 with chronic pancreatitis). In the normal cases, the pancreas was visualized in the planar images as early as 3 hr, and again at 20 hr postinjection. Single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) performed following 3-hr planar scintigraphy, provided excellent pancreas images without an overlap of activity in the liver or spleen. The mean pancreas-to-liver (P/L) ratio was 1.26 +/- 0.22 in normal controls. With the exception of one case of massive calcification in the pancreas, the entire pancreas could be observed in the cases with chronic pancreatitis, but the P/L ratio was 0.74 +/- 0.15, significantly lower than that of normal cases. Defective areas of the distal portion of the pancreas were clearly seen in those with cancer of the pancreas. The results of our study indicate that [123I] HIPDM may have clinical potential as a human pancreas imaging agent.