Nonosseous abnormalities on bone scans

J Nucl Med Technol. 2003 Sep;31(3):149-53; quiz 154-6.

Abstract

Although bone scanning is a test primarily concerned with skeletal abnormalities, important nonosseous findings are occasionally present on the images. To gauge the significance of such nonosseous uptake and, in particular, to determine whether these findings contain useful diagnostic information, the technical and medical staff in nuclear medicine must recognize the various patterns of nonbony uptake and understand their causes. The objectives of this article are to demonstrate the appearances of nonosseous uptake on bone scans, to categorize the forms of soft-tissue uptake, to emphasize technical artifacts leading to soft-tissue uptake, and to highlight the clinical significance of pathologic soft-tissue uptake.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Artifacts*
  • Bone and Bones / diagnostic imaging*
  • Bone and Bones / metabolism
  • Connective Tissue / diagnostic imaging*
  • Connective Tissue / metabolism
  • Diagnosis, Differential
  • Extravasation of Diagnostic and Therapeutic Materials / diagnostic imaging*
  • Extravasation of Diagnostic and Therapeutic Materials / metabolism
  • Humans
  • Incidental Findings
  • Soft Tissue Neoplasms / diagnostic imaging*
  • Soft Tissue Neoplasms / metabolism
  • Technetium Tc 99m Medronate / pharmacokinetics
  • Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon / methods
  • Urologic Diseases / diagnostic imaging*
  • Urologic Diseases / metabolism
  • Viscera / diagnostic imaging*

Substances

  • Technetium Tc 99m Medronate