Gallium-67 scintigraphy in lymphoma with bone involvement

Both Hodgkin's and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) may involve bone. Traditionally, 99mTc-MDP bone scintigraphy has been used to detect such involvement. In recent years, 67Ga scintigraphy has shown to be useful in monitoring treatment response in lymphoma. Although 99mTc-MDP has not been found particularly useful for monitoring bone response to cancer treatment, we were interested in whether 67Ga scintigraphy and SPECT could be used to monitor bone involvement with lymphoma. METHODS: Gallium-67 and 99mTc-MDP uptake were investigated in 20 patients with lymphoma involving the bone before treatment. Gallium-67 scans were done in 16 patients for monitoring response to treatment in the bone lesions. RESULTS: Gallium-67 studies diagnosed bone lesions in 19 of the 20 patients. Technetium-99m-MDP detected bone lesions in all patients investigated. In four patients, uptake by Ga-67 was more intense than 99mTc-MDP and in another four patients 99mTc-MDP uptake was more evident. Gallium-67, however, was useful in detecting other regions of involvement in 18 of the 19 patients with soft-tissue lymphoma lesions. Gallium-67 scintigraphy also correctly monitored bone response to treatment in all but one of the 16 patients who had 67Ga scintigraphy after completing therapy. CONCLUSION: Gallium-67 uptake by lymphoma involving the bone can be used to monitor osseous response to treatment.