The value of bone scintigraphy in diagnosing of langerhans cells histiocytosis

Purpose: To investigate the clinical value of bone scintigraphy in the diagnosis of Langerhans cells histiocytosis (LCH). Methods: Whole-body bone scintigraphy was performed in 23 patients, 16 males and 7 females, average age was 4.5+1.4, with histologic diagnosis of LCH. The clinical presentation varied from local mass (10 cases), tenderness (12 cases), othemorrhea (1 case), limb fatigue (3 cases), restriction of spinal activity (2 cases) to irregular fever, cough and rash (4 cases). 99Tcm-MDP was injected intravenously , the dose modified as age, according to the formula of [ adult dosage x [(age+l)/(age+7)] ] , and sedation was given to the young children who could not cooperate well. After 3 hours of administration whole-body bone scan was performed. Images were acquired using GE Millennium SPR, with a high-resolution low-energy collimator, 8 min/m sweep speed, matrix 1024 x 256, zoom 1. Results: 19 of 23 patients (82.6%) showed positive in their bone scan. 8 cases with cranial abnormal uptake, some of them exhibited peripheral high and central low uptake; clavicle, rib and pelvis involvements were 3 respectively; 2 cases in upper limb, 4 in lower limb, most lesions of limb were located in the diaphysis; spinal abnormal uptakes were seen in 5 patients, and 1 child had photon deficient area in the lower of sternium. Among 19 positive scintigram, single bone lesion was shown in 9 patients (47.3%), the most common lesion located in cranium (5 cases). Conclusion: Some characters of bone scintigraphy in LCH are useful in the diagnosis of this disease, and accompanied with comprehensive sensation of clinical manifestation of LCH, the diagnostic accuracy will be promoted. (authors)