The use of SPECT to evaluate growth cessation of the mandible in unilateral condylar hyperplasia

In unilateral condylar hyperplasia, for surgical intervention to be effective, the status of condylar bone growth has to be assessed correctly. Previously this assessment relied on serial clinical observations. This study aimed to evaluate the MDP-SPECT method of assessing condylar growth in unilateral condylar hyperplasia. Twenty-six MDP-SPECT of the mandible had been performed; 21 were diagnosed as condylar hyperplasia and five as non-mandibular disease. Three isotope parameters: isotope counts, pixel counts and counts per pixel were summed for each condyle per subject. The percentage difference in isotope uptake of the three parameters between the two condyles was calculated as the ratio of the combined counts of the two sides. These differences significantly correlated with each other (Pearson r=0.78-0.98) and with the clinical status of bone growth (Spearman rho=0.72-0.86). There was a significant difference for the count per pixel between the 'growing' condyle (transaxial, T: 15.05+/-7.14, coronal, C: 12.29+/-7.88), the 'no further growth' condyle (T: 5.22+/-4.08, C: 5.67+/-3.88) and the 'normal' condyle (T: 0.82+/-0.76, C: 1.34+/-0.66). This method was able to separate 'active growth' from 'growth cessation' of the condyle by a single MDP-SPECT of the mandible. However, further studies are needed to confirm this finding.