USE OF WHOLE-BODY RETENTION OF TC-99M DIPHOSPHONATE IN DIAGNOSIS OF METABOLIC BONE-DISEASE

  • 1 January 1978
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 19  (3) , 270-275
Abstract
The limited role of bone scanning in the diagnosis of metabolic bone disease might be considerably improved by accurate quantification of skeletal uptake of the radiopharmaceutical. Using a standard shadow-shield whole-body monitor, whole-body retention (WBR) of Tc-99m HEDP [hydroxyethylidene diphosphonate] was measured up to 24 h in 11 patients with renal osteodystrophy (mean WBR 88.6% at 24 h); in patients with Paget''s disease (mean 56.9%); in 7 patients with osteomalacia (mean 40.7%); in 5 patients with primary hyperparathyroidism (mean 50.7%); in 4 patients with osteoporosis (mean 21.2%); and in 12 normals (mean 19.2%). The osteoporotic group could not be differentiated from the normal group, but the other groups were significantly different from the normal group at 24 h (P < 0.002), and each individual result for the 24 h WBR of Tc-99m HEDP in these groups lay outside the normal range. This test may provide a sensitive means of detecting conditions with increased bone turnover. Measurements of plasma activity of Tc-99m HEDP were obtained in these patients up to 24 h, and 4 h bone to soft-tissue ratios from bone-scan images, but little additional information resulted.