title: The value of quantitative radioisotope scanning in the differential diagnosis of low back pain and sacroiliac disease.
abstract: The specificity of scintigraphic scanning in detecting inflammatory sacroiliitis has been investigated. The sacroiliac band profile (R[Band]) was used and a new index (R[SIJ/F]) comparing the sacroiliac joint with the ipsilateral femur is described. Using the R (Band) index the mean value (1.34) for patients with definite sacroiliac disease was no different from that found for control subjects (1.35). There were significant differences using the R(SIJ/F) (7.8 versus 6.4): this ratio alone correlated with age. We conclude that neither technique is sufficiently specific to be of diagnostic value in most instances of low back pain.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001168:Arthritis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D001416:Back Pain / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D012446:Sacroiliac Joint / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D013167:Spondylitis, Ankylosing / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*