Multiple myeloma evaluated with 201Tl scintigraphy compared with bone scintigraphy.
The purpose of this study was to investigate the clinical usefulness of 201Tl chloride scintigraphy in the diagnostic evaluation of 20 patients with multiple myeloma (19/20 patients) or extramedullary plasmacytoma (1/20 patients) in comparison with bone scintigraphy.


METHODS
Both 201Tl and bone scintigraphy were performed to obtain planar images on the same instrument.


RESULTS
201Tl scintigraphy showed increased uptake in 15 of 20 patients (75%) and was negative in 5 of 20 patients (25%). In addition, 201Tl scintigraphy of multiple myeloma was more useful in detecting the lesions in 11 of 17 patients and less useful in 6 of 17 patients than bone scintigraphy.


CONCLUSIONS
The combination of 201Tl and bone scintigraphy, compared with bone scintigraphy alone, shows promise in more accurately diagnosing multiple myeloma.
Department of Radiology, Toyama Medical and Pharmaceutical University, Toyama City, Japan.
N
N
Watanabe
M
M
Shimizu
M
M
Kageyama
K
K
Tanimura
S
S
Kinuya
N
N
Shuke
K
K
Yokoyama
N
N
Tonami
A
A
Watanabe
H
H
Seto
D A
DA
Goodwin
D001859:Bone Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D001842:Bone and Bones / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009101:Multiple Myeloma / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D013793:Thallium; D013794:Thallium Radioisotopes
D013794:Thallium Radioisotopes; C027549:thallium chloride; D013793:Thallium