ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: We compared the efficacies of ¹8F-fluoride positron emission tomography (¹8F-fluoride PET)/CT, ¹8F-fludeoxyglucose PET (¹8F-FDG PET)/CT, and 99mTc bone scintigraphy [planar and single photon emission CT (SPECT)] for the detection of bone metastases in patients with differentiated thyroid carcinoma (DTC). METHODS: We examined 11 patients (8 females and 3 males; mean age 6 standard deviation, 61.968.7 years) with DTC who had been suspected of having bone metastases after total thyroidectomy and were hospitalized to be given ¹³¹I therapy. Bone metastases were verified either when positive findings were obtained on both ¹³¹I scintigraphy and CT or when MRI findings were positive if MRI was performed. RESULTS: Metastases were confirmed in 24 (13.6%) of 176 bone segments in 9 (81.8%) of the 11 patients. The sensitivities of ¹8F-fluoride PET/CT and 99mTc bone scintigraphy (SPECT) were significantly higher than those of ¹8F-FDG PET/CT and 99mTc bone scintigraphy (planar) (p,0.05). The accuracies of ¹8F-fluoride PET/CT and mTc bone scintigraphy (SPECT) were significantly higher than that of 99mTc bone scintigraphy (planar) (p,0.05). CONCLUSION: The sensitivity and accuracy of ¹8F-fluoride PET/CT for the detection of bone metastases of DTC are significantly higher than those of 99mTc bone scintigraphy (planar). However, the sensitivity and accuracy of 99mTc bone scintigraphy (planar) are improved near to those of ¹8F-fluoride PET/CT when SPECT is added to a planar scan. The sensitivity of ¹8F-FDG PET/CT is significantly lower than that of 18F-fluoride PET/CT or 99mTc bone scintigraphy (SPECT).
