[Stepwise combination of skeletal scintigram and x-rays in the improvement and rationalisation of skeletal metastases detection (author's transl)].
Skeletal scintigraphy with 99mTc phosphate complexes allows the early detection of sites of pathological activity in bones. High sensitivity of this procedure (93%) contrasts with low specificity (59%). Scintigraphically-located sites are uncharacteristic and can imply various diagnoses and require radiodiagnostic investigation. The stepwise application of both methods is recommended, according to tumour type and clinical picture in order to avoid unnecessary and costly duplication of investigation procedures. Thus, the combination of the high specificity of skeletal radiology and the high sensitivity of scintigraphy aids the early detection of skeletal metastases, whereby whole-body skeletal scintigraphy forms the basis for such investigations.