Technetium-99mTc MDP imaging of 293 quadrants of idiopathic facial pain: 79% show increased radioisotope uptake

• Published in: Oral surgery, oral medicine, oral pathology and oral radiology Vol. 114; no. 1; pp. 83 - 92
• Main Authors: Bouquot, Jerry E., Spolnik, Kenneth, Adams, William, Deardorf, Kevin
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY Mosby, Inc 01.07.2012; Elsevier
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Biological and medical sciences; Biopsy; Case-Control Studies; Chi-Square Distribution; Cranial nerves. Spinal roots. Peripheral nerves. Autonomic nervous system. Gustation. Olfaction; Facial Pain - diagnostic imaging; Female; Humans; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Nervous system (semeiology, syndromes); Neurology; Otorhinolaryngology. Stomatology; Radionuclide Imaging; Radiopharmaceuticals; Retrospective Studies; Surgery; Technetium Tc 99m Medronate; Technetium (99mTc) medronate; Nervous system diseases; Pain; Trigeminal nerve; Technetium 99mTc; Idiopathic; Neuralgia; Radioisotope; Neurological disorder; Uptake
• ISSN: 2212-4403; 2212-4411; 2212-4411
• DOI: 10.1016/j.oooo.2012.02.019

To evaluate the association between facial pain and maxillofacial scintigraphy. A total of 117 patients with idiopathic facial pain (IFP) (88% females; average age = 46.7 years) underwent 99mTc-MDP scans, as did 32 age-matched controls. Pearson χ2 analysis was used to determine associations. Of subject quadrants, 63% were painful (average duration: 5.4 years); 79% of painful quadrants had positive 99mTc-MDP scans, i.e., “hot spots,” significantly different from 13% in nonpainful quadrants (P < .0001). Five percent of controls had quadrants with hot spots; the proportion of hot spots in subjects versus controls was significantly different (P < .0001). No difference was found between pain-free quadrants in subjects and controls (P = .0688). A positive 99mTc-MDP scan is strongly correlated with the location of pain in IFP, and patients with IFP have significantly more hot spots than controls, suggesting that pain in some IFP is associated with or caused by cancellous bone disease.