METHODS
Four cylindrical lesions with 0.1, 0.2, 0.4, and 0.8 cm diameter were placed in a phantom to simulate lymph nodes. The images of phantom placed within water were taken with gamma camera and counts of lesion were taken from mimicking lymph nodes using a gamma probe.
RESULTS
It was determined that lymph node with 0.1 ml volume can be only detected up to 4 cm depth with gamma camera. But, this lesion can be detected up to 7 cm depth when gamma probe is used.
CONCLUSION
Gamma probe is more effective compared to gamma camera with respect to their lesion detection capacities. The smallest lymph node that gamma camera could identify clearly had a 0.1 cm diameter at 4 cm depth whereas gamma probe could identify the same size up to 7 cm depth.
Keywords: Gamma camera; gamma probe; sentinel lymph node; Tc-99m
