SPECT/multislice low-dose CT: a clinically relevant constituent in the imaging algorithm of nononcologic patients referred for bone scintigraphy.

Abstract

The purpose of this prospective study was to assess the role of SPECT/multislice low-dose (Msl) CT as a constituent in the imaging algorithm of nononcologic patients referred for 99mTc-methylene diphosphonate bone scintigraphy (BS). SPECT/CT was performed using a novel hybrid system, which incorporates a gamma-camera and a multislice low-dose CT, on 76 consecutive nononcologic patients with nonspecific scintigraphic findings, which required further correlation with morphologic data. SPECT/MslCT was of added clinical value in 89% of the patients. Characterizing scintigraphic lesions by their morphologic appearance, SPECT/MslCT reached a final diagnosis in 49 of 85 (58%) nonspecific scintigraphic bone lesions found in 59% (45/76) of patients, obviating the need to perform additional imaging. In another 30% of patients (23/76), SPECT/MslCT data optimized the patients' imaging algorithm as the performance of a full-dose CT, MRI, or labeled-leukocyte scintigraphy as the next imaging was based on its findings combined with the patient's clinical presentation. SPECT/MslCT is a clinically relevant constituent in the imaging algorithm of nononcologic patients referred for BS.