The Usefulness of Three-phase Bone Scan and Thermography for Making the Diagnosis of CRPS-I.
- Author:
Sang Hyun PARK
1
;
Pyung Bok LEE
;
Yun Hee LIM
;
Seung Yoon LEE
;
In Yong CHOI
;
Sang Jin LEE
;
Yong Seok OH
Author Information
- Publication Type:Original Article
- Keywords: CRPS; thermography; three-phasic bone scan
- MeSH: Diagnosis*; Extremities; Humans; Thermography*
- From:The Korean Journal of Pain 2006;19(1):81-86
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:Korean
- Abstract: BACKGROUND: Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) is a painful and disabling disease, yet the diagnosis of this can be difficult to confirm by purely objective measures. Therefore, we performed three-phasic bone scans and thermography as a work up in order to determine their predictive value and usefulness for making the diagnosis of CRPS. METHODS: 44 patients who had been diagnosed with CRPS type-1, according to the modified criteria, were evaluated. All the patients were examined by performing a three-phasic bone scan and thermography as part of a work-up for diagnostic confirmation. The diffuse increased tracer uptake in the delayed image (phase III) was estimated by the positive findings. The findings were considered positive for CRPS if the thermographic findings showed temperature asymmetries between the affected and non-affected extremities of more than 1.00 degrees C RESULTS: A review of the three-phasic bone scan for 44 patients indicated that 16 patients (36.4%) had diffusely positive scans, and thermographic abnormalities were noted in 35 of 44 patients (79.5%). CONCLUSIONS: The use of thermography in clinical settings can play an important role in the diagnosis of CRPS. However, a three-phasic bone scan alone cannot provide a completely accurate diagnosis, so it is imperative that the three-phasic bone scan data be integrated with the clinical evaluation and the other relevant tests.
