Clinical applications of SPECT/CT in assessment of bone lesions in POEMS syndrome

Retrospectively analyse the ^99mTc-MDP SPECT whole-body bone scan in POEMS syndrome to explore its clinical value.

Twenty-four untreated patients with pathologically confirmed POEMS syndrome were included in the study. 24 of them underwent ^99mTc-MDP SPECT whole-body bone scan, 24 underwent CT examination and 18 patients underwent X-ray examination in different parts. Features of bone lesions in ^99mTc-MDP SPECT, and X-ray, CT were analysed. Three experienced radiologists read the images and gave diagnosed results for bone lesions.

Of the 24 POEMS syndrome patients, three types of bone lesions were found: osteosclerotic lesions, osteolytic lesions and mixed lesions, of which the most common type was osteosclerotic. 54.16% (13/24) patients were found bone lesions by SPECT; 44.44% (8/18) patients underwent X-ray and 62.50% (15/24) patients underwent CT were detected bone lesions. We compared the difference of the X-ray, CT and SPECT scans of the bone lesions by chi-square and found that there was no difference (P = 0.51) in detection of bone lesions among the three methods.

^99mTc-MDP SPECT wholebody bone scan also useful in evaluating patients with suspected POEMS syndrome. We can use it as a supplement examination of the CT in the confirmation of one minor diagnostic criterion for POEMS syndrome: bone lesions.