[Dw-MRI and bone scintigraphy in monitoring radio-therapy response in bone metastases]

Recenti Prog Med. 2012 Nov;103(11):438-43. doi: 10.1701/1166.12885.
[Article in Italian]

Abstract

Bone is one of the most common sites of metastatic spread of malignancy, with possible deleterious effects including pain, hypercalcemia, and pathologic fracture. External beam radiotherapy (EBRT) remains the mainstay for treatment of painful bone metastases. Diffusion-weighted MRI (DW-MRI) has been described as an efficient method to differentiate good and poor responders to radiotherapy in bone metastases patients. The addition of DWI to conventional whole-body MRI sequences enhanced lesion conspicuity and improved diagnostic accuracy. We evaluate bone metastases patients with bone scintigraphy and DW-MRI. With technical optimization, whole-body MRI with DWI, as a nonionizing imaging modality, may potentially be useful as an alternative method to bone scintigraphy in the management of bone metastases.

MeSH terms

  • Bone Neoplasms / diagnosis*
  • Bone Neoplasms / diagnostic imaging
  • Bone Neoplasms / radiotherapy
  • Bone Neoplasms / secondary*
  • Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Radionuclide Imaging