Historic breakthroughs made by nuclear medicine experts in Barbados

The head of the second Chinese medical team to Barbados, associate professor of nuclear medicine Cheng Gang, recently completed the first case of SPECT/CT radionuclide imaging for a post- hydrocephalus ventriculoperitoneal shunt, jointly with Dr. Gill, surgeon general of Queen Elisabeth Hospital (QEH) in Barbados.  

“It is the first time ever that I encountered this situation in two decades,” said Cheng. The 80-year-old patient underwent a ventriculoperitoneal shunt for communicating hydrocephalus years ago. Dr. Gill, surgeon general of QEH, suspected the existence of bypass blocking, and consulted with Cheng if radionuclide imaging could be used to check if the bypass was clear. Based on thorough preparation and extensive literature review, Cheng decided to conduct the first case of imaging of cerebrospinal fluid shunt at QEH, in cooperation with Dr. Gill.

 Checks on a patient for SPECT/CT radionuclide imaging for a ventriculoperitoneal shunt

In Jan 12, 2018, Cheng and his team selected 99mTc-DTPA as the imaging agent, and determined the dosage and imaging process after review of existing literature. Under completely sterile conditions, the patient's ventricle was injected with the imaging agent. The first case of SPECT/CT radionuclide imaging for a ventriculoperitoneal shunt at QEH turned out to be a success. Dr. Gill was satisfied with the imaging results, and spoke highly of the work of the Chinese team. He thanked Cheng for his help.

 SPECT/CT radionuclide imaging results for the ventriculoperitoneal shunt

Before Cheng and his team arrived, the SPECT/CT facilities at QEH were almost idle. As a nuclear medicine expert, Cheng had conducted about 150 radionuclide imaging cases at QEH in half a year. In many of them, he utilized technologies new to QEH, such as the first radionuclide imaging of kidneys, the first radionuclide imaging of sympathetic reflex dystrophy, and the first bone SPECT/CT fusion imaging. The head of the Radiological Department at QEH thought that their work had “made history” for QEH's nuclear medicine sector. Thanks to Cheng and his team, the vice president of operations at QEH has requested more nuclear specialists to be sent in future teams.

Starting from scratch, the Chinese medical team (Chongqing) has not only made history in Barbados but also contributed to an improved relationship between the Chinese and Barbadian peoples.