DETECTION OF SKELETAL INVOLVEMENT IN MALI GNANT DISEASE BY IMMUNOSCINTIGRAPHY OF BONE-MARROW

The results of immunoscintigraphy of haematopoetic bone marrow were co mpared with those of conventional bone scanning in 141 patients with m alignant diseases. Marrow scans showed more metastatic lesions than bo ne scanning in all patient subgroups, resulting in a significantly mor e extended skeletal involvement. CT was concordant in 83.3% of 323 ske letal regions with bone marrow scanning. Bone marrow scans of 30 contr ol patients with benign disease were abnormal only in 7 of 2135 skelet al regions in 3 patients. In malignant lymphoma, bone marrow histology or aspiration cytology was concordantly positive in 14 or negative in 17 patients. Immunoscintigraphy of haematopoetic bone marrow provides a reliable, sensitive and safe novel approach towards the non-invasiv e evaluation of metastatic spread to the skeleton.