title: Comparison of whole-body MRI with automatic moving table technique and bone scintigraphy for screening for bone metastases in patients with breast cancer.
abstract: The aim of this study was presentation of a whole-body MRI technique with a moving table as a screening tool for bone metastases in patients with breast cancer. Twenty-two patients with breast carcinoma underwent both a planar whole-body bone scintigraphy and whole-body MRI at 1.5 T. The MRI images were acquired with a moving table at six different anatomical positions within a measurement time of 20 min. Coronal images were acquired using a short-tau inversion recovery sequence, accomplished by an axial T2-weighted turbo-spin-echo sequence through the head, and a T1-weighted opposed-phase sagittal 2D fast low-angle shot sequence covering the whole spine. The MRI findings indicating bone metastases were compared with findings from bone scintigraphy. Metastatic lesions were confirmed by follow-up examinations over 1 year. Twelve patients showed bone metastases. Whole-body MRI was superior to bone scintigraphy in predicting lesion origin with a sensitivity of 92% (bone scintigraphy 83%), a specificity of 90% (scintigraphy 80%) and an accuracy of 91% (scintigraphy 82%). The MRI showed additional findings such as metastases of the lung and liver. Whole-body MRI with moving table technique may be an effective method of total body screening for bone in selected patients with breast carcinoma and a high risk of distant metastases, although with the higher costs of MRI bone scintigraphy must still be considered as the first method for screening patients with breast cancer.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiological Diagnostics, Martha-Maria Hospital, Stadenstrasse 58, 90491, Nürnberg, Germany. k.engelhard @martha-maria.de
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Engelhard
authors.forename: H P
authors.initials: HP
authors.lastname: Hollenbach
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Wohlfart
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: von Imhoff
authors.forename: F A
authors.initials: FA
authors.lastname: Fellner
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001859:Bone Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000556:secondary*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011856:Radiographic Image Enhancement; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013669:Technetium Tc 99m Medronate
chemical_list: D013669:Technetium Tc 99m Medronate