Role of nuclear medicine SPECTCT methods in the diagnosis of Urinary Tract Urothelial Cell Cancer

Abstract

Nuclear medicine methods, with subsequent hybrid SPECT-CT images, are highly sensitive and specific visual methods that establish the functional status of the target organs, diagnose and stage pathological secondary lesions with increased mineral activity in bone and joint structures and determine the exact localization, anatomical structure and the corresponding morphological characteristics of the tumors localized in the lower and upper urinary tract. Urothelial carcinomas develop in the process of malignant transformation of cells of the transitional epithelium. Depending on their location, urothelial tumors are divided into those that develop in the lower urinary tract (bladder, urethra) and in the upper urinary tract (ureters and collecting system of both kidneys). Whole-body bone scintigraphy and dynamic nephroscintigraphy with subsequent targeted SPECT-CT studies are of great clinical importance in patients with these oncological localizations for the accurate diagnosis and staging of bone secondary lesions, for visualization of obstructive hydronephrosis and relative renal function, especially in high-risk patients Key words: urothelial carcinomas, SPECT-CT, dynamic nephroscintigraphy, bone scintigraphy