Skeletal scintigraphy. [/sup 99m/Tc]
Skeletal scintigraphy, using phosphates or diphosphonates labeled with technetium 99m, is a sensitive method of detecting bone abnormalities. The most important and most frequent role of bone scanning is evaluating the skeletal areas in patients who have a primary cancer, especially a malignant condition that has a tendency to spread to bone areas. The bone scan is superior to bone radiographs in diagnosing these abnormalities; 15 percent to 25 percent of patients with breast, prostate or lung cancer, who have normal roentgenograms, also have abnormal scintigrams due to metastases. The majority of bone metastases appear as hot spots on the scan and are easily recognized. The incidence of abnormal bone scans in patients with early stages (I and II) of breast cancer varies from 6 percent to 26 percent, but almost invariably those patients with scan abnormalities have a poor prognosis and should be considered for additional therapies. Progression or regression of bony lesions can be defined through scanning, and abnormal areas can be identified for biopsy. The incidence of metastases in solitary scan lesions in patients with known primary tumors varies from 20 percent to 64 percent. Bone scintigraphy shows positive uptake in 95 percent of cases with acute osteomyelitis. Stress fractures and trauma suspected in battered babies can be diagnosed by scanning before there is radiological evidence. The procedure is free from acute or long-term side effects and, except in cases of very young patients, sedation is seldom necessary. Although the test is sensitive, it is not specific and therefore it is difficult to overemphasize the importance of clinical, radiographic, biochemical and scanning correlation in each patient.
- Research Organization:
- Stanford Univ. Medical Center, CA
- OSTI ID:
- 5707008
- Journal Information:
- West. J. Med.; (United States), Journal Name: West. J. Med.; (United States) Vol. 130:6; ISSN WJMDA
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BIOLOGICAL LOCALIZATION
BODY
COUNTING TECHNIQUES
DATA
DATA FORMS
DIAGNOSIS
DIAGNOSTIC TECHNIQUES
DISEASES
DRUGS
ESTERS
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
HOURS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
INFORMATION
INTERMEDIATE MASS NUCLEI
ISOLATED VALUES
ISOMERIC NUCLEI
ISOMERIC TRANSITION ISOTOPES
ISOTOPES
LABELLED COMPOUNDS
METASTASES
NEOPLASMS
NUCLEI
NUMERICAL DATA
ODD-EVEN NUCLEI
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC PHOSPHORUS COMPOUNDS
ORGANS
OSTEOMYELITIS
OSTEOSARCOMAS
PHOSPHONIC ACID ESTERS
PHOSPHORIC ACID ESTERS
RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS
RADIOISOTOPE SCANNING
RADIOISOTOPES
RADIOPHARMACEUTICALS
SARCOMAS
SCINTISCANNING
SKELETAL DISEASES
SKELETON
TECHNETIUM 99
TECHNETIUM ISOTOPES
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES