Is 99m Tc-methylene diphosphonate bone scintigraphy a sensitive method for detecting bone lesions in multiple myeloma?

BACKGROUND: Bone lesion in multiple myeloma (MM) is most commonly presented as a lytic lesion in this disease. Determination of extent of bone lesions in MM is necessary to follow-up the patients. Whole body bone scan with 99m, Tc-methylene diphosphonate (MDP) has a lower sensitivity than other modalities. METHODS: From the patients with MM admitted to Ayatollah Rouhani Hospital of Babol-Iran from 2009 to 2015, who had undergone whole body bone scan during diagnostic process, were entered into the study. Findings of bone scan were compared with MRI. RESULTS: Of the 19 patients, sixteen (84.2%) of them had positive finding in bone scan, fifteen (78.9%) had MRI of the spine. While of the thirteen patients who had positive finding in MRI, seven (53.8%) had more positive finding in thorcolumbosacral MRI than in bone scan. CONCLUSIONS: 99m-Tc MDP bone scan is a sensitive but insufficient method for detecting bone lesions in MM.