99m Technetium scintiphotography in arthritis. II. its nonspecificity and clinical and roentgenographic correlations in rheumatoid arthritis

Technetium‐99m scintiphotography of the hands, wrists and knee joints of 24 patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) showed abnormal localization of isotope in one or more synovial structures in 96% of hands, in 94% of wrists and in 74% of knees. The results of scintiphotography correlated well with clinical assessment of synovial thickening and tenderness in the proximal interphalangeal and metacarpophalangeal joints of 9 consecutive RA patients. Scintiphotography proved more sensitive than clinical examination only in knee joints; in 2 patients clinical involvement was antedated by positive scintiphotos. Joint visualization after intravenous pertechnetate was nonspecific, and positive scintigrams were obtained in other diseases associated with increased articular or periarticular vascularity. The technic is definitely useful in the serial evaluation of the results of local medical and surgical treatment of arthritis and as an aid in the diagnosis of psychogenic rheumatism.