Bone Scan: Indications Revisited

Area of Science:

• Nuclear Medicine
• Radiology
• Medical Imaging

Background:

• Skeletal scintigraphy, a common nuclear medicine procedure, has seen significant changes in its application over the last three decades.
• Advancements in other imaging techniques, improved understanding of diseases, and updated clinical guidelines have influenced its use.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze the evolution of indications for skeletal scintigraphy over the past 30 years.
• To document the paradigm shift from metastatic to nonmetastatic applications.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of skeletal scintigraphy indications.
• Comparison of data from 1998 and 2021.

Main Results:

• Indications for metastatic disease detection decreased from 60.3% in 1998 to 15.5% in 2021.
• Nonmetastatic indications increased from 39.7% in 1998 to 84.5% in 2021.
• A notable rise in nononcological orthopedic and rheumatological indications was observed.

Conclusions:

• Skeletal scintigraphy is increasingly utilized for non-oncological conditions.
• The role of bone scans has evolved, with a reduced emphasis on metastatic surveys.