SPECT/multislice low-dose CT: a clinically relevant constituent in the imaging algorithm of nononcologic patients referred for bone scintigraphy.
The purpose of this prospective study was to assess the role of SPECT/multislice low-dose (Msl) CT as a constituent in the imaging algorithm of nononcologic patients referred for 99mTc-methylene diphosphonate bone scintigraphy (BS).


METHODS
SPECT/CT was performed using a novel hybrid system, which incorporates a gamma-camera and a multislice low-dose CT, on 76 consecutive nononcologic patients with nonspecific scintigraphic findings, which required further correlation with morphologic data.


RESULTS
SPECT/MslCT was of added clinical value in 89% of the patients. Characterizing scintigraphic lesions by their morphologic appearance, SPECT/MslCT reached a final diagnosis in 49 of 85 (58%) nonspecific scintigraphic bone lesions found in 59% (45/76) of patients, obviating the need to perform additional imaging. In another 30% of patients (23/76), SPECT/MslCT data optimized the patients' imaging algorithm as the performance of a full-dose CT, MRI, or labeled-leukocyte scintigraphy as the next imaging was based on its findings combined with the patient's clinical presentation.


CONCLUSIONS
SPECT/MslCT is a clinically relevant constituent in the imaging algorithm of nononcologic patients referred for BS.
Even-Sapir
Einat
E
Department of Nuclear Medicine, Tel-Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Tel-Aviv, Israel. evensap@tasmc.health.gov.il
Flusser
Gideon
G
Lerman
Hedva
H
Lievshitz
Gennady
G
Metser
Ur
U
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000465:Algorithms; D001842:Bone and Bones / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D002648:Child; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D015902:Gamma Cameras; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D013669:Technetium Tc 99m Medronate; D015899:Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D013669:Technetium Tc 99m Medronate