Radioguided Biopsy of Osteoid Osteoma: Usefulness of Imaging Probe

Aims and background: When removal of osteoid osteoma is performed with open biopsy, the surgeon can be guided by radioactivity of Te-99m-MDP (methylene D- phosphonate) acquired by a probe. Material and methods: We compared the performance of a commercially available ZnCdTe probe (Neoprobe 2000) and a one-square-inch-field-of-view imaging probe (IP) on two patients undergoing open biopsy for osteoid osteoma. Triphasic bone scintigraphy was performed before operation and Neoprobe as well as IP were used in the operating room by two nuclear physicians. When the surgeon asked for guidance, each nuclear physician had to indicate a precise direction. Results: The surgeon asked for guidance once in the first operation, on a patient with osteoid osteoma of the femur, and four times in the second operation, for osteoid osteoma of the acetabulum. The indications provided by IP were correct 5/5 times, whereas the commercial probe was correct 3/5 times. Both devices were able to assess the surgical radicality. After biopsy, bone samples were divided into high-count and low-count samples. Pathological examination confirmed the presence of osteoid osteoma in high-count samples. Conclusions: IP has already been used to guide biopsy, but only in breast disease. The present work confirms its good performance also in orthopedics as a portable mini gamma camera that can be used in the operating room.