[99mTc-polyphosphate scintigraphy of joints, xeroradiography and radiography of hands]

Joint imaging with 99m-Tc-Polyphosphate was carried out in 21 patients having inflammatory or degenerative diseases of the joints of the hands. A comparison was made between 99m-TcPP, xeroradiography and radiography. In a total of 630 different joints 237 positive scans, 132 positive roentgenograms and 183 positive xeroradiograms were obtained. In the early stage of inflammatory joint disease only the scintigraphic results are positive, in the later stage 99mTcPP-imaging was less sensitive than xeroradiography and radiography. The reason for the increased concentration at the site of acute joint inflammation is probably the increased uptake in the soft tissues of the joints. The best time for scanning after the application of 99m-TcPP seemed to be at 3 hours.