title: Is bone mineral density measurement using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry affected by gamma rays?
abstract: The objective of this study was to determine whether the gamma rays emitted from the radionuclide effect bone mineral density (BMD) measurement. Nine subjects (mean age: 56 ± 17.96 yr) scheduled for bone scanning underwent BMD measurement using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) (Hologic/Discovery A) before and 1, 2, and 4 h after injection of technetium-99m-methylene diphosphonate (99mTc-MDP). Ten subjects (mean age: 41 ± 15.47 yr) scheduled for therapy of differentiated thyroid carcinoma with iodine-131 underwent BMD measurement before and 2 h after therapeutic radionuclide administration. All patients were given whole body BMD measurement, including head, arm, ribs, lumbar spine, pelvis, and leg sites. Besides, patients who referred to radioiodine therapy were given total hip and femoral neck BMD measurement as well. No statistically significant changes in BMD values were detected after 99mTc-MDP and iodine-131 administration for all measurement sites (p > 0.05), and individual difference of BMD before and after radionuclide imaging or therapy was less than the least significant change in lumbar spine, total hip, and femoral neck. In conclusion, BMD measurements are not influenced by the gamma rays emitted from technetium-99m and iodine-131. DXA bone densitometry may be performed simultaneously with bone scanning and radioiodine therapy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nuclear Medicine, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Liang-Jun
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Xie
authors.affiliation: Department of Nuclear Medicine, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Jian-Fang
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Nuclear Medicine, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Feng-Wei
authors.initials: FW
authors.lastname: Zeng
authors.affiliation: Department of Nuclear Medicine, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Hang
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.affiliation: Department of Nuclear Medicine, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China. Electronic address: chmarka@163.com.
authors.forename: Mu-Hua
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.affiliation: Department of Nuclear Medicine, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Yi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D015502:Absorptiometry, Photon / Q000379:methods*; D000328:Adult; D015519:Bone Density; D004307:Dose-Response Relationship, Radiation; D005260:Female; D005720:Gamma Rays; D006615:Hip / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006801:Humans; D007457:Iodine Radioisotopes; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D013669:Technetium Tc 99m Medronate / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000532:radiotherapy
chemical_list: D007457:Iodine Radioisotopes; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D013669:Technetium Tc 99m Medronate
keywords: Bone mineral density; dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry; gamma ray; radionuclide