title: Predictive value of radionuclide joint scintigrams.
abstract: Twenty-two patients with normal or "noninflammatory" 99mtechnetium-labeled polyphosphate (TPP) peripheral joint scintigrams taken between 1974 and 1976 were reevaluated clinically. Retrospective chart review revealed that all initially had persistent polyarthralgia of more than 3 months duration. At followup, a mean of 3.6 years later, none had evidence of inflammatory joint disease, although 1 patient had systemic lupus erythematosus and 2 had polymyalgia rheumatica. A  noninflammatory joint scintigram as part of a thorough rheumatologic evaluation may be a useful procedure in excluding inflammatory joint disease in selected patients with chronic persistent polyarthralgia.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001168:Arthritis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007592:Joint Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D007596:Joints / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D008180:Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010146:Pain / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D012216:Rheumatic Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D013585:Synovitis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging