BESTIMMUNG DER FUNKTIONELLEN VERDRANGUNG DES KNOCHENMARKS DURCH OSTEOPLASTISCHE METASTASEN BEIM PROSTATA-CA. MIT DER KNOCHENMARKSZINTIGRAPHIE

The detailed examination of the skeleton in prostate cancer has become more critical since surgical treatment requires the non-evidence of bone metastases. The data of 50 patients have been evaluated. All patients had a bone scan and a bone marrow scintigraphy with [^99mTc]-anti-NCA95. In this study we compared the degree of bone marrow displacement with the extent of metastatic deposits identified on the bone scan. Six patients showing the criterias of a superscan (maximal avidity of the osteotrope radiotracer) had as a correlate a complete displacement of the hematopoiesis in the bone marrow scintigraphy and an increased activity in liver and spleen. The degree of the peripheral extension correlated strongly with the decrease of the haemoglobin in blood samples. The grading was based upon the number of metastatic deposits identified on the scan (0 = no metastases; 1 ≤ 6 metastases; 2 = multiple metastases; 5 = superscan). In 28 of 50 patients (93%) we found corresponding results in both the bone scan and the bone marrow scintigraphy. The bone marrow scintigraphy is a sensitive method in the detection of metastatic disease and gives additional information about the extent of bone marrow displacement by osteoplastic metastases.