American Journal of Roentgenology, Vol 158, 1275-1279, Copyright © 1992 by American Roentgen Ray Society

ARTICLES

Do metastases in vertebrae begin in the body or the pedicles? Imaging study in 45 patients

PR Algra, JJ Heimans, J Valk, JJ Nauta, M Lachniet and B Van Kooten
Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Free University Hospital, Boelelaan, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

We analyzed CT scans of the spine obtained in patients with vertebral metastases to determine what specific portion of the vertebra is initially involved by metastasis. The CT findings were then correlated with the abnormalities seen on plain films. Forty-five patients with histologically proved metastases in 95 vertebrae were included in the study. In all patients, CT scans and plain films of the spine were obtained within 1 week of each other. Analysis of the CT scans showed that the vertebral body was the portion of the vertebra that was most frequently destroyed by the metastases. Destruction of a pedicle was never identified in the absence of involvement of the body. The opposite was true on plain films, in which the most common finding was destruction of the pedicles. CT showed that the position of the metastases in the vertebra correlated with the sites of entry of the vertebral vessels. Our results show that the initial anatomic location of metastases within vertebrae is in the posterior portion of the body. Analysis of CT scans shows that the body is involved before the pedicles, although destruction of the pedicles is the most common finding on plain films. The pedicles are not the primary site of metastatic involvement. Destruction of the pedicles occurs only in combination with involvement of the vertebral body.
CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    What's this?

This article has been cited by other articles:

				E. Even-Sapir Imaging of Malignant Bone Involvement by Morphologic, Scintigraphic, and Hybrid Modalities J. Nucl. Med., August 1, 2005; 46(8): 1356 - 1367. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				T. Uematsu, S. Yuen, S. Yukisawa, T. Aramaki, N. Morimoto, M. Endo, H. Furukawa, Y. Uchida, and J. Watanabe Comparison of FDG PET and SPECT for Detection of Bone Metastases in Breast Cancer Am. J. Roentgenol., April 1, 2005; 184(4): 1266 - 1273. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				H. Schirrmeister, G. Glatting, J. Hetzel, K. Nussle, C. Arslandemir, A. K. Buck, K. Dziuk, A. Gabelmann, S. N. Reske, and M. Hetzel Prospective Evaluation of the Clinical Value of Planar Bone Scans, SPECT, and 18F-Labeled NaF PET in Newly Diagnosed Lung Cancer J. Nucl. Med., December 1, 2001; 42(12): 1800 - 1804. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. H. Bilsky, E. Lis, J. Raizer, H. Lee, and P. Boland The Diagnosis and Treatment of Metastatic Spinal Tumor Oncologist, December 1, 1999; 4(6): 459 - 469. [Abstract] [Full Text]