[Choice of the imaging technique for the diagnosis of bone metastases]

Recenti Prog Med. 2013 Jul-Aug;104(7-8):361-6. doi: 10.1701/1315.14576.
[Article in Italian]

Abstract

Bone is the third common site of distant metastases in cancer patients. Bone metastases may have implications for prognosis, quality of life, and local and systemic therapy. Numerous imaging modalities may be used to detect bone metastases. The two main anatomical modalities are computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), with many variants proposed for the MRI procedure, including diffusion-weighted imaging. The two main functional modalities are scintigraphy and PET/CT, also with many variants in the radiopharmaceuticals. Aim of our paper is to review the most important radio-compounds that can be successfully used to detect and/or characterize bone metastases.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Bone Marrow / pathology
  • Bone Neoplasms / diagnostic imaging
  • Bone Neoplasms / pathology
  • Bone Neoplasms / secondary*
  • Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging
  • Fluorine Radioisotopes
  • Fluorodeoxyglucose F18
  • Humans
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging / methods*
  • Multidetector Computed Tomography
  • Multimodal Imaging / methods
  • Predictive Value of Tests
  • Radionuclide Imaging
  • Radiopharmaceuticals*
  • Sensitivity and Specificity
  • Tomography, X-Ray Computed / methods*

Substances

  • Fluorine Radioisotopes
  • Radiopharmaceuticals
  • Fluorodeoxyglucose F18