• Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging
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• v.40 no.2
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• pp.127-131
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• 2006

Radiosynovectomy has been used as an effective treatment in patients with resistant synovitis after failure of long-term medication and intraarticular steroid injection. Although $^{90}Y$ silicate/citrate, $^{186}Re$ sulfide, and $^{169}Er$ citrate were approved in Europe for the appropriate radiopharmaceuticals for radiosynovectomy other radionuclides such as $^{32}P$-chromic phosphate, $^{165}Dy$-ferric hydroxide macroaggregate, $^{188}Rh$-microspheres, $^{153}Sm-particulate, and $^{166}Ho$-ferric hydroxide macroaggregate have been used in many countries. Reported success rates range from 40% to 90% for the different joints and underlying disease. In Korea, $^{188}Re$-tin-colloid and $^{166}Ho$-chitosan complex are now using as the major radionuclides in radiosynovectomy with good clinical results. A study on radiation synovectomy using $^{188}Re$-tin-colloid for patients with Korean rheumatoid arthritis shows the treatment resulted in the improvement of arthritis and well tolerated in our study, the radiosynovectomy with $^{166}Ho$-chitosan complex in 53 hemophilic patients markedly decreased intra-articular bleeding frequency and need for coagulation factor. This review inculdes general priciples in the application of radiosynovectomy and the clinical experience in Korea.

• Journal of Radiopharmaceuticals and Molecular Probes
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• v.1 no.2
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• pp.109-117
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• 2015

Radiation synovectomy has been proposed as a promising palliative therapy for recurrent joint effusions for the last two or three decades. Ionizing radiations emitted by intrarticularly administered radiolabelled colloids. The aim of this study was to assess the effectiveness of radiation synovectomy (RSV) using $^{188}Re$-tin colloid in the treatment of recurrent joint effusions and chronic synovitis of knee joints. Three phase bone scan was acquired for the concerned joint prior to radiosynovectomy. $^{188}Re$-tin colloid was prepared as per the reported protocol. 9 patients, diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis and suffering from chronic resistant synovitis of the knee, ankle or elbow joints were administered the radiopharmaceuticals, checked for radiochemical purity >95% by intraarticular route. A whole body scan was acquired 2 h post-radiosynovectomy. In all the 9 treatments, no leakage to non-target organs was visible in the whole body scan. Static scans of the joint revealed complete retention of $^{188}Re$-tin colloid in the joints post administration of the agent. Clinically all patients exhibited a complete or partial response. RSV with $^{188}Re$-tin colloid was safe and effective in patients with chronic synovitis of rheumatoid origin.