Quantitative bone scintigraphy in Paget's disease treated with APD.

Area of Science:

• Endocrinology
• Nuclear Medicine
• Rheumatology

Background:

• Paget's disease of bone is a chronic condition.
• Bisphosphonates are a common treatment for Paget's disease.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy of bisphosphonate APD in treating Paget's disease.
• To assess the changes in bone scintigraphy during APD treatment.

Main Methods:

• Half-yearly bone scintigrams were performed on 27 patients with Paget's disease treated with APD.
• Uptake of 99Tcm-Sn-EHDP was quantified using computer analysis.

Main Results:

• All patients achieved clinical and biochemical remission within 6 months.
• Scintigraphic uptake decreased significantly, averaging an 80% reduction.
• A residual 20% uptake persisted despite remission.

Conclusions:

• APD is effective in achieving remission for Paget's disease.
• Bone scintigraphy shows a rapid decrease in uptake during APD treatment.
• Scintigraphic changes may precede or coincide with disease recurrence.