Renal imaging incidental to bone scintigraphy

Valuable information about the urinary tract can be obtained from bone scans performed primarily for the detection of bone metastases of prostatic cancer. In case of repeatedly negative bone scans with respect to the urinary tract, major urinary tract obstruction can be excluded. Therefore, if the bone scan is normal, no signs and symptoms of urinary tract obstruction are found on examination, and values for serum creatinine and urinalysis are normal or satisfactory, there is no need to include an excretory urogram as a routine part of every follow-up examination to exclude urinary tract obstruction. However, significant scarring atrophy, or masses may go underected. It is further suggested that a skeletal scintigram, evaluated for both skeletal and renalurinary tract pathology, be performed at the time a diagnosis of prostatic cancer is made. A baseline is thus provided for the recognition of possible changes occuring subsequently in either system. (orig.)