Full Body Scintigraphy Berlin-Frohnau

Bone scintigraphy involves the use of a radiopharmaceutical, usually technetium-labelled diphosphonates. This radiopharmaceutical accumulates preferentially in bones with increased metabolism, which is characteristic of conditions such as inflammation, fractures or metastases.

The images are taken with a gamma camera and, depending on the issue at hand, either focused on specific body regions or performed as whole-body scans to obtain a more comprehensive picture.

Whole body scintigraphy allows the distribution of storage regions in the entire skeletal system to be examined. This method is used primarily to search for skeletal metastases. Due to its high sensitivity, which ensures a very low rate of false negative findings, it has become indispensable in this area.

One particular advantage of scintigraphy is the early detection of changes: it can detect pathological processes even before they are visible on an X-ray. Therefore, whole-body scintigraphy plays a central role in the comprehensive diagnosis of bone tumours.

In multiphase scintigraphy, the radiation activity in a specific region is measured during the absorption phase of the injected radiopharmaceutical. This provides detailed information about the local blood distribution and blood flow in the examined area. This method enables a differentiated assessment of circulatory disorders or inflammatory processes.

Indications

Skeletal scintigraphy is used for a variety of indications, including the detection of skeletal metastases, primary bone tumours, bone necrosis, fatigue fractures (including endoprosthesis loosening) and to rule out fractures.

However, it is important to note that physiological changes in the skeletal system can also be associated with increased storage of the radiopharmaceutical. This particularly applies to degenerative diseases and the growing skeleton, in which the growth plates show a characteristic storage behaviour. Therefore, careful clinical consideration is required when interpreting the results.