BONE-MARROW SCINTIGRAPHY AND MAGNETIC-RES ONANCE-IMAGING IN THE EVALUATION OF BONE METASTASES OF PROSTATE-CANCER

Bone marrow scintigraphy with anti-NCA-95, bone scans and magnetic res onance imaging of the spine were performed in 43 patients with histolo gically proven, newly diagnosed carcinoma of the prostate. Bone metast ases were found in 14 patients. Bone marrow scintigraphy yielded false positive results and false negative results in 2 cases, respectively. Therefore, bone marrow scintigraphy has no diagnostic advantages, and the conventional bone scan is the method of choice in the diagnosis o f metastases. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed solitary metastases in 2 patients with negative bone scan and negative bone marrow scintig raphy. All 8 equivocal bone scans demonstrated no osseous lesions on m agnetic resonance imaging. In patients with unexplained PSA elevations and negative or equivocal bone scan who are candidates for radical pr ostatectomy magnetic resonance imaging may be indicated. The use of ma gnetic resonance tomography as screening modality for metastatic prost ate cancer is not advocated.