title: [Skeletal nuclear medicine].
abstract: Bone scintigraphy with 99mTc-phosphate compounds is the most popular examination in clinical nuclear medicine. This was developed more than 20 years ago and its roles in various skeletal disorders are well established. Furthermore, improvement of imaging apparatus and application of SPECT strengthened its value extensively. From scintigram alone, in many cases, differentiation between bone metastasis and other "benign" disorders is easily capable. Further improvement in resolution of scinticamera should strengthen its value more. Other recent developments in skeletal nuclear medicine are those in bone densitometry and in measurement of metabolic bone markers. Bone densitometry using DXA is applied on diagnosis and monitoring of therapeutic effects in various metabolic bone diseases, especially, in osteoporosis. Bone mass measurement combined with assessments of specific bone markers such as bone specific alkaline phosphatase and collagen cross-link metabolites might replace the bone biopsy in evaluating bone metabolism. Treatment of bone metastasis in patients with prostate cancer by administering radiolabeled bone seeking substances is another topics in this field and awaits for more extensive clinical evaluation.
authors.affiliation: Shiga University of Medical Science.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Yamamoto
mesh_terms: D015502:Absorptiometry, Photon; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000032:analysis; D015519:Bone Density; D001851:Bone Diseases, Metabolic / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D001859:Bone Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D001842:Bone and Bones / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D013669:Technetium Tc 99m Medronate / Q000031:analogs & derivatives; D015899:Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; C024226:technetium Tc 99m hydroxymethylene diphosphonate; D013669:Technetium Tc 99m Medronate