¹³³Xenon Clearance from the Human Non-Pregnant Uterus: Comparison between Elimination Curves after Local and Intra-arterial Injection of Tracer

Abstract

A study of the clearance of ¹³³Xenon from the non-pregnant human uterus is reported. The isotope was deposited in the uterus either by direct injection at a fixed depth from the endometrial surface in the uterine fundus or by injection into the uterine artery. With both types of injection multiexponential curves resulted. This is thought to reflect the existence within the uterus of compartments with different rates of perfusion. By conventional graphical separation of curve components two, sometimes three, components are identified. Their mean half-times are after intraarterial injection in 15 cases 1.4 and 11.4 min respectively. After local injection in 10 cases 1.2 and 20 min respectively. A third very quick component was seen in carcinoma cases and was not calculated.