Assessment of indications and clinical significance of bone scintigraphy among patients referred to Nuclear Medicine Unit, Tikur Anbessa Specialized Hospital, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
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Date
2023-02
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
Background: Bone scintigraphy is a very sensitive diagnostic nuclear medicine
imaging technique that uses a radiotracer to assess the distribution of active bone
growth in the skeleton in relation to malignant and benign disease as well as a
physiologic process. The general indications for bone scintigraphy are to investigate
for particular bone disease, unexplained symptoms and prior to therapy for metabolic
evaluation. There is no baseline study to assess the indications and clinical
significance in TASH.
Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical indication and
significance of bone scintigraphy in patients who were referred to Tikur Anbessa
Specialized Hospital.
Methods: A hospital-based retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted using
secondary data from a record of a bone scintigraphy from 2007 to 2012 at the Nuclear
Medicine Unit at Tikur Anbessa Hospital. SPSS version 22 was used to examine and
analyze the gathered data using descriptive and inferential statistics.
Result: In this investigation, 110 Planar and SPECT scan record of patients was used.
Out of which 76 (69.1%) were female and 34 (30.9%) were male. The most common
indications was the evaluation of metastatic breast cancer at 59 (53.6%), followed by
prostatic cancer 22 (20%), Using a binary logistic regression analysis there was a
significant correlation between female patients and positive outcome of scans p=0.06
and OR=4. Those aged between 40-49 years had a significant correlation with
outcome of the scan compared to their oldest counterpart ( >70yr) p=0.03, OR=11.
Conclusion: In this study, 94.5% of indications were for oncologic work up. Breast
cancer metastatic workup is the most common indication. Positive results were four
times more likely to be seen in female patients than males. People between the ages of
40 and 49 had an eleven fold higher likelihood of obtaining positive scans than the
oldest age group (>70 years).
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Keywords
Bone Scintigraphy, SPECT, Planar, Malignant, Benign.