title: Technetium-99m-labeled antigranulocyte antibody bone marrow scintigraphy.
abstract: Although bone scintigraphy is a sensitive method for detecting skeletal metastases, it is often equivocal for metastases due to poor specificity. This study evaluates 99mTc-antigranulocyte antibody (AGA) bone marrow scintigraphy in differentiating malignant from benign lesions, in 42 patients with skeletal tumors who had equivocal bone scans.
  
  
  METHODS
  AGA scans performed approximately 1 wk after 99mTc-MDP bone imaging were visually assessed for the presence of concordant marrow defects. Final diagnoses were made from radiological results, follow-up bone scans or clinical evaluation for 12 mo or longer.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The final diagnoses were: skeletal metastasis (19 patients), no metastasis (20 patients) and unconfirmed (3 patients). AGA scans could not determine the presence of a concordant defect in three patients because of overlying liver activity or previous irradiation of the region. Seventeen patients had bone marrow defects concordant with bone scan lesions, whereas 15/19 patients without metastasis had normal AGA scans. The sensitivity and specificity of AGA for detecting skeletal metastases were 100% and 79%, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  AGA scans had a low incidence of skeletal metastases in patients who had equivocal bone scans. Although a concordant marrow defect increases the possibility of metastasis, further radiological investigation to exclude benign disease is warranted.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nuclear Medicine, Seoul National University Hospital, Korea.
authors.forename: K H
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: J K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Chung
authors.forename: C W
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Jeong
authors.forename: D S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Y J
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Bang
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: N K
authors.initials: NK
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: C S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Koh
mesh_terms: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm / Q000276:immunology; D001853:Bone Marrow / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D001859:Bone Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000556:secondary*; D001842:Bone and Bones / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000276:immunology; D008875:Middle Aged; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D016719:Radioimmunodetection; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013667:Technetium; D013669:Technetium Tc 99m Medronate
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm; D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D013667:Technetium; D013669:Technetium Tc 99m Medronate