[Diagnosis of osteoporosis by measurement of 125I-absorption of the finger (author's transl)].
Quantitative measurement of radiation absorption of an external 125I source does not give information about calcium decrease of the skeletal system in an individual case. Of 50 patients under an age of 40 years who demonstrated osteoporosis by roentgenography, only 19 patients had absorption coefficients of the spongiosa in a pathological range. However there was a significant decrease of the absorption coefficients in two patients collectives with decreased calcium bone diseases. The insufficient diagnostic information in an individual patient is explained by the overlap of absorption values in normals and patients with decreased calcium. This is caused by the difficulties to determine the absorption of the finger and the insufficient discrimination of scattered radiation.