Comparison of novel imaging techniques as part of the diagnostic work-up regarding most relevant topics
| . | WBLDCT . | PET/CT . | MRI . |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ease of use | Patient friendly (fast scanning time, <15 min) | Scanning time (including radiopharmaceutical injection) ∼60 min | Variable scanning time (30-60 min) |
| Relatively inexpensive | More expensive | More expensive | |
| Widely available | Not always available | Relatively available | |
| Radiation exposure | Relatively low radiation dose (3-4 mSv) | Higher (6-10 mSv) | No radiation exposure |
| No need for IV contrast administration | |||
| Bone damage | Depicts lytic bone lesions | Depicts contemporary lytic bone lesions and/or EMD and disease metabolism | Highest sensitivity for early bone damage |
| Prognostic relevance | Not clear | Prognostic significance of FL number and SUVmax value | Prognostic significance of FLs and diffuse pattern |
| Favorite target | Gold standard for CT-guided biopsy, surgery, RT planning, evaluation of stability of fractures | Favored technique to assess EMD | Gold standard for detection of diffuse BM involvement, differential diagnosis between osteoporotic and pathological fractures, cord compression |
| . | WBLDCT . | PET/CT . | MRI . |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ease of use | Patient friendly (fast scanning time, <15 min) | Scanning time (including radiopharmaceutical injection) ∼60 min | Variable scanning time (30-60 min) |
| Relatively inexpensive | More expensive | More expensive | |
| Widely available | Not always available | Relatively available | |
| Radiation exposure | Relatively low radiation dose (3-4 mSv) | Higher (6-10 mSv) | No radiation exposure |
| No need for IV contrast administration | |||
| Bone damage | Depicts lytic bone lesions | Depicts contemporary lytic bone lesions and/or EMD and disease metabolism | Highest sensitivity for early bone damage |
| Prognostic relevance | Not clear | Prognostic significance of FL number and SUVmax value | Prognostic significance of FLs and diffuse pattern |
| Favorite target | Gold standard for CT-guided biopsy, surgery, RT planning, evaluation of stability of fractures | Favored technique to assess EMD | Gold standard for detection of diffuse BM involvement, differential diagnosis between osteoporotic and pathological fractures, cord compression |
RT, radiotherapy; SUVmax, maximum standardized uptake value.