Three-phase radionuclide scintigraphy of the hand

Three-phase radionuclide scintigraphy of the hand was performed on 116 patients. Normal and abnormal patterns for radionuclide angiography, immediate post-injection blood-pool images, and delayed scans (3-4 hr.) were established. Of 80 patients with normal circulation, 61 (76%) had equal radial and ulnar artery flow bilaterally, while in 19 (24%) either the radial or ulnar artery was dominant. Abnormal studies were grouped into three categories: suspected vascular lesions (Group I), pain of uncertain etiology (Group II), and patients evaluated before and after reconstructive surgery (Group III). The diagnosis was correct in 89% of the patients in Group I (34/38), 89% of those in Group II (57/64), and all of those in Group III (14/14). Three-phase scintigraphy of the hand yields significant information about perfusion and bone metabolism.