SPECT/CT findings of suspicious vertebral metastasis on planar bone scintigraphy

Abstract

Whole-body planar bone scintigraphy (WPBS) is a highly sensitive imaging method in the evaluation of bone lesions, but has a limited specificity. The aim of this study was to evaluate the contribution of SPECT/CT imaging method in the vertebral coloumn lesions which were interpreted as suspicious for metastasis on WPBS. A total of 56 patients who underwent SPECT/CT imaging due to the suspicious WPBS findings for metastasis on vertebral column were included in this retrospective study. Radiotracer accumulations on WPBS and SPECT/CT were determined. Based on the CT findings of SPECT/CT images, radiotracer accumulations were interpreted as benign/degenerative, malignant or suspicious for metastasis. Additional foci detected only with SPECT/CT were determined. A total of 121 foci were evaluated as suspicious for metastasis on WPBS. On SPECT/CT images, 67.8% of these foci were revealed with benign/degenerative lesions, 22.3% were evaluated as malign and 9.9% foci remained suspicious for metastasis. The number of benign/degenerative lesions was significantly higher than that of malign lesions. Pathological radiotracer accumulation was detected in extra 14 foci on the SPECT component of SPECT/CT. All of these foci were evaluated as benign/degenerative on fusion CT images. There was no statistically significant difference found between the total number of foci detected on WPBS and SPECT/CT. In conclusion, SPECT/CT was found to be able to identify a major part of the vertebral coloumn lesions which were interpreted as suspicious for metastasis and improve the diagnostic value of WPBS. 

Keywords

• SPECT/CT,bone scintigraphy,vertebral coloumn,bone metastase

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