I was scheduled Friday for full body bone scan (single-photon emission computed tomography, or SPECT).
At the end of the scan, they did an additional CT of my spine and hips, which was not requested by the specialist.
Does this indicate they found an abnormality that warranted further investigating and thus the CT, or is this routine?
I don't see my specialist for another two weeks for results.
Rebecca
Forums
4 posts
• Page 1 of 1
Re: Additional CT after SPECT - is it standard practice?
Buttrfluttr,
I'm going to guess they likely ran a SPECT to primarily evaluate your other conditions (DVT/PE etc) and also ran a CT scan in conjunction with the SPECT to specifically look for any multiple myeloma related bone damage (such as lytic lesions) in your spine. But this is only a guess on my part.
I'm going to guess they likely ran a SPECT to primarily evaluate your other conditions (DVT/PE etc) and also ran a CT scan in conjunction with the SPECT to specifically look for any multiple myeloma related bone damage (such as lytic lesions) in your spine. But this is only a guess on my part.
-
Multibilly - Name: Multibilly
- Who do you know with myeloma?: Me
- When were you/they diagnosed?: Smoldering, Nov, 2012
Re: Additional CT after SPECT - is it standard practice?
Multibilly,
The nuclear scan was ordered specifically as a full body bone scan with tracer by the specialist because of horrendous back and hip pain coupled with the IgM paraprotein etc.
I did do some reading after posting my query here and found CT is often done to give further detail to abnormal findings seen on a SPECT, which is what I had been wondering. Of course, it doesn't necessarily mean a malignant abnormality was seen, and I won't know until the results are shared with me by my specialist.
Cheers for your input.
Rebecca
The nuclear scan was ordered specifically as a full body bone scan with tracer by the specialist because of horrendous back and hip pain coupled with the IgM paraprotein etc.
I did do some reading after posting my query here and found CT is often done to give further detail to abnormal findings seen on a SPECT, which is what I had been wondering. Of course, it doesn't necessarily mean a malignant abnormality was seen, and I won't know until the results are shared with me by my specialist.
Cheers for your input.
Rebecca
Re: Additional CT after SPECT - is it standard practice?
Hi Rebecca,
Interesting. I don't think I've come across anybody on this forum that has had a SPECT used for the purpose of multiple myeloma screening. Good luck with the results.
I also just realized that your elevated immunoglobuin is of the IgM type. That opens up some some special considerations for a diagnosis, as Ian mentioned in one of your earlier posts. You may want to read through this article to better understand all of the possible implications:
Mikhael, J, "Ask the Hematologist: A Diagnostic Approach to Patients with an IgM monoclonal protein," The Hematologist, Sep 15, 2014 (full text of article)
Interesting. I don't think I've come across anybody on this forum that has had a SPECT used for the purpose of multiple myeloma screening. Good luck with the results.
I also just realized that your elevated immunoglobuin is of the IgM type. That opens up some some special considerations for a diagnosis, as Ian mentioned in one of your earlier posts. You may want to read through this article to better understand all of the possible implications:
Mikhael, J, "Ask the Hematologist: A Diagnostic Approach to Patients with an IgM monoclonal protein," The Hematologist, Sep 15, 2014 (full text of article)
-
Multibilly - Name: Multibilly
- Who do you know with myeloma?: Me
- When were you/they diagnosed?: Smoldering, Nov, 2012
4 posts
• Page 1 of 1