A Review of Experimental Work on Radio-yttrium Comprising 1. The Tissue Distribution, 2. The Mechanism of Deposition in Bone, and 3. The State in the Blood

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Abstract
The author reviews the literature covering the deposition of injected radio-yttrium in soft tissues and bone. It is clear that when injected in a carrier-free form yttrium is a bone-seeking isotope. In the presence of carrier, aggregates of larger particle size are formed, and these show greater affinity for the soft tissues which have the highest proportion of reticulo-endothelial cells. The effect of chelating agents is to render the yttrium more soluble, thus increasing excretion; they reduce the extent of colloid formation and reduce the size of the colloidal particles formed. Contradictory reports as to the site of deposition of yttrium can be explained by the fact that the authors have not appreciated the radiocolloidal properties of yttrium and that insufficient attention has been paid to the form in which it is present in the blood-stream.