DISTURBANCES OF FLUID BALANCE REDUCE THE IMAGE QUALITY OF BONE-SCINTIGRAPHY - EXPERIMENTAL STUDIES IN MICE

The effects of hydration, dehydration and osmotic diuresis on the acti vity distribution of bone-seeking radiopharmaceuticals have been studi ed in an experimental mouse system. It was found that any change of th e water balance impairs the activity distribution of the radiolabelled phosphonate in the potential bone scintigraphic image. The findings s uggest that in order to maintain image quality, elderly patients shoul d not be instructed to drink a large volume of fluid after the adminis tration of a bone-seeking radiopharmaceutical. Further investigations, though, have to be performed in humans.