[Correlation between specific prostatic antigen and findings with total body bone scintigraphy].
OBJECTIVE
To analyze the correlation between PSA values, bony symptoms and total body bone scintiscanning in order to determine the utility of the latter technique in patients with adenocarcinoma of the prostate.


METHODS
We analyzed the correlation between the PSA values, bony symptoms and total body bone scintiscan findings of 191 patients with adenocarcinoma of the prostate; of these, 129 patients met the criteria for inclusion into the study.


RESULTS
Of the 128 patients, 32 (25%) had PSA value < 20 ng/ml, 48 (37.5%) had values ranging from 20-50 ng/ml and 48 (37.5%) had values > 50 ng/ml. The bone scintiscan was positive in only one of the 32 patients with PSA < 20 ng/ml, 45.8% of those with PSA values between 20-50 ng/ml and 70.8% of those with PSA values > 50 ng/ml. All of the patients with PSA < 20 ng/ml and no bony symptoms had a negative bone scintiscan. All patients with PSA > 20 ng/ml and bony symptoms had a positive bone scintiscan.


CONCLUSIONS
PSA is a biological marker that can effectively predict the scintiscan findings. The bone scintiscan was negative in 96.9% of the patients with PSA < 20 ng/ml. Total body bone scintiscanning can therefore be obviated in patients with PSA < 20 ng/ml and no bony symptoms, thereby reducing health costs without altering the benefits.
López
M
M
Servicio de Urología, Hospital de Clínicas José de San Martin, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Montes De Oca
L
L
Bernardo
N
N
Scorticati
C
C
Suárez
P
P
Bencardino
F
F
De Lasa
T
T
Sotero Falco
E
E
Coimbra
F
F
Scorticati
C
C
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000097:blood* / Q000556:secondary*; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001859:Bone Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000556:secondary*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017430:Prostate-Specific Antigen / Q000097:blood*; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000473:pathology; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging
D017430:Prostate-Specific Antigen