Technetium-99mTc MDP imaging of 293 quadrants of idiopathic facial pain: 79% show increased radioisotope uptake.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the association between facial pain and maxillofacial scintigraphy.


METHODS
A total of 117 patients with idiopathic facial pain (IFP) (88% females; average age = 46.7 years) underwent 99mTc-MDP scans, as did 32 age-matched controls. Pearson χ(2) analysis was used to determine associations.


RESULTS
Of subject quadrants, 63% were painful (average duration: 5.4 years); 79% of painful quadrants had positive 99mTc-MDP scans, i.e., "hot spots," significantly different from 13% in nonpainful quadrants (P < .0001). Five percent of controls had quadrants with hot spots; the proportion of hot spots in subjects versus controls was significantly different (P < .0001). No difference was found between pain-free quadrants in subjects and controls (P = .0688).


CONCLUSIONS
A positive 99mTc-MDP scan is strongly correlated with the location of pain in IFP, and patients with IFP have significantly more hot spots than controls, suggesting that pain in some IFP is associated with or caused by cancellous bone disease.
Department of Diagnostic & Biomedical Sciences, School of Dentistry, University of Texas, Health Sciences Center, Houston, Texas 77030, USA. jerry.bouquot@uth.tmc.edu
Jerry E
JE
Bouquot
Kenneth
K
Spolnik
William
W
Adams
Kevin
K
Deardorf
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001706:Biopsy; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D005157:Facial Pain / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013669:Technetium Tc 99m Medronate
D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D013669:Technetium Tc 99m Medronate