MAGNETIC-RESONANCE-IMAGING IN SCREENING F OR BONE METASTASES - A PROSPECTIVE COMPARISON WITH BONE-SCINTIGRAPHY

To define the value of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in screening f or bone metastases (BM) compared to bone scintigraphy (BSc) 102 patien ts with tumours with frequent BM were examined also by MRI of spine, p levis, femora, and proximal tibiae. All patients had normal BSc and 96 (94%) normal MRI. Only 6% of the patients had focal abnormalities wit hin the bone marrow. This indicates that there is a 94% probability of absence of BM if BSc is normal. Therefore, BSc should currently remai n the method of choice for screening for BM. Despite MRI is sensitive and specific, with the common technique up to now it should not be use d instead of BSc in screening because of costs, duration, and lack of whole body examination. MRI is a valuable adjunct in equivocal finding s in BSc with negative results on radiographs.