Yeungnam Univ J Med.  1998 Dec;15(2):254-262.

Vertebral compression fractures: distinction between benign and malignant causes with Tc-99m labeled antigranulocyte antibody immunoscintigraphy

• Cho IH
• Lee HW
• An SH
• Won KC
• Bae JH
• Cho SH

Abstract

We evaluated the effectiveness of Tc-99m labeled antigranulocyte antibody immunoscintigraphy in differentiating the causes of vertebral compression fracture. This study involved 16 patients with vertebral compression fracture; 8 were due to trauma or osteoporosis, 3 were due to metastasis and 5 were due to tuberculous spondylitis. We retrospectively analyzed the location and the extent of decreased tracer uptake in tomographic images of Tc-99m labeled antigranulocyte antibody immunoscintigraphy. Eight patients had a 16 vertebral compression fractures due to trauma or osteoporosis , three patients had a 3 vertebral compression fractures due to metastasis and 5 patients had a 6 vertebral compression fractures due to tuberculous spondylitis. Sixteen vertebral compression fractures by trauma or osteoporosis showed a normal tracer uptake in pedicle, laminar and spinous process, but there was noted with 6 decreased uptake, 8 absence of tracer uptake and 2 normal tracer uptake in the vertebral body. Two vertebral compression fractures by metastasis showed the absence of uptake in vertebral body, pedicle, laminar and spinous process, and one showed an absence of vertebral body and spinous process. Six vertebral compression fractures by tuberculous spondylitis showed the absence of uptake in six compression fractures, the absence of pedicle in five compression fractures. We concluded Tc-99m labeled antigranulocyte antibody immunoscintigraphy may be helpful to differentiate the causes of vertebral compression fractures.

Keyword

Tc-99m antigranulocyte antibody immunoscintigraphy; vertebral compression fracture

MeSH Terms

Fractures, Compression*
Humans
Neoplasm Metastasis
Osteoporosis
Retrospective Studies
Spondylitis