Skeletal Metastasis Evaluation: Value and Impact of PET/Computed Tomography on Diagnosis, Management and Prognosis

PET Clin. 2019 Jan;14(1):103-120. doi: 10.1016/j.cpet.2018.08.006. Epub 2018 Oct 24.

Abstract

A number of PET agents are useful for evaluation of skeletal metastatic disease, and have significant advantages over 99mTc-MDP scintigraphy, including superior diagnostic accuracy, higher spatial resolution, and shorter imaging times- often with the ability to depict soft tissue local recurrence and metastasis in the same examination. While these agents have excellent diagnostic utility, they are not 100% specific for skeletal metastasis, and so normal patterns of biodistribution, benign osseous lesions that may demonstrate radiotracer uptake, and the significance of morphologic changes on CT such as osteolysis or osteosclerosis must be kept in mind to ensure accurate interpretation.

Keywords: Choline; FDG; Fluciclovine; NaF; PET/CT; Skeletal metastasis.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Bone Neoplasms / diagnostic imaging*
  • Bone Neoplasms / secondary*
  • Bone Neoplasms / therapy
  • Bone and Bones / diagnostic imaging
  • Humans
  • Positron Emission Tomography Computed Tomography / methods*