86 cases of several kinds of bone and joint diseases were scanned with 99mTc-pyrophosphate as bone imaging agent, and evaluated in comparison with clinical and radiological findings.
These include 9 cases of inflammatory disease of bone, 5 cases of rheumatoid arthritis, 11 cases of osteoarthritis of knee, 8 cases of avascular femoral head necrosis, 15 cases of primary bone tumor (benign 10 and malignant 5), 32 patients with cancer and 6 cases of the other diseases.
Using Hitachi dual 5 in. whole body scanner and Nuclear Chicago Pho/gamma camera, bone scans have been carried out routinely 3-5 hours after intravenous administration of 5-10mCi of 99mTc-pyrophosphate.
The image obtained with 99mTc-pyrophosphate is more sensitive and effective than those of 85Sr, 87mSr and 18F. High concentration of tracer was more clearly demonstrated in the presence of abnormal X-ray views as inflammatory disease, bone necrosis, degenerative joint disease and malignant bone tumor. However, even in little or no evidence of definite X-ray view, abnormal uptake of 99mTc could early represent the existence of bone involvement and its extent. With 99mTc-bone scanning, the beneficial informations were obtained in early diagnosis, activity or process of the diseases.
