Whole-body scanning with 99m-Tc-EHDP

Park, H Y; Yang, B C; Kim, J D; Chae, Y S; Rhee, H S

Abstract

Bone scanning has changed the management of patients and has increased the understanding of number of diseasesaffecting the skeleton. Early diagnosis of benign and malignant bone disease has become possible many monthsbefore a standard x-ray or enzyme measurement confirms the pathologic process. Whole-body bone scanning is anon-invasive, safe,and easy procedure. 99mTc is the good for skeletal image. The relative cost of this is low, itsavailability is widespread, and it is obtainable in generator form, with a good shelf-life, thus being availablewhenever required. It also has an absence of a particle emission, decaying by a single gamma ray of reasonableenergy(140 KeV) with a good phsical half-life (6 hours). We have 36 cases of whole-body scanning with 99mTc-EHDP.The result are as follows; 1. In 36 cases, positive bone scanning and negative X-rays found in 22.2% of thepatients, and in positive x-rays bone scanning showed almost positive. 2. In 4 cases, bone scanning showedincreased uptake of radioactivity in primary bone tumor. 3. Also bone scanning showed increased uptake ofradioactivity in amputative or operative site, 4. In 1 case of osteoomyelitis, x-ray showed negative findings, butbone scanning showed increased uptake of radioactivity in site to suspect clinically. So bone scanning is verysensitive indicator of bone infections-the early detection of osteomyelitis and septic arthritis is fundamental inorder to prevent demarge to the bones and joints.