Spinal computed tomography scanning in the evaluation of metastatic disease
Twenty patients with known metastatic cancer or high-risk primary cancer developed new lesions on Tc/sup 99m/ bone scans and had normal plain radiographs. Spinal computed tomography (CT) was performed on all new bone-scan-positive lesions in minimal examination time. Fifteen patients had extensive metastatic vertebral disease and received local radiotherapy. One patient with new metastatic vertebral disease on CT was treated only with chemotherapy and developed acute spinal cord compression. Four patients had discogenic disease or degenerative disease but no evidence of metastases. Radionuclide bone scans are more sensitive but less specific than plain radiographs in detecting early bone metastases. Early and accurate diagnosis of metastasis is particularly important in the axial spine to prevent epidural compression and fracture. Spinal CT is valuable for identifying the presence and extent of vertebral metastases, as well as the presence of benign disease in cancer patients.
- Research Organization:
- Madigan Army Medical Center, Tacoma, Washington
- OSTI ID:
- 6801052
- Journal Information:
- Cancer (Philadelphia); (United States), Journal Name: Cancer (Philadelphia); (United States) Vol. 54:2; ISSN CANCA
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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550602* -- Medicine-- External Radiation in Diagnostics-- (1980-)
62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE
ACCURACY
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BIOMEDICAL RADIOGRAPHY
CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM
COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS
COMPUTERIZED TOMOGRAPHY
COUNTING TECHNIQUES
DIAGNOSIS
DIAGNOSTIC TECHNIQUES
DISEASES
HOURS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
INTERMEDIATE MASS NUCLEI
ISOMERIC NUCLEI
ISOMERIC TRANSITION ISOTOPES
ISOTOPES
MEDICINE
METASTASES
NERVOUS SYSTEM
NUCLEAR MEDICINE
NUCLEI
ODD-EVEN NUCLEI
PATIENTS
RADIOISOTOPE SCANNING
RADIOISOTOPES
RADIOLOGY
RADIOTHERAPY
SKELETAL DISEASES
SPINAL CORD
TECHNETIUM 99
TECHNETIUM ISOTOPES
THERAPY
TOMOGRAPHY
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES