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Multiple extra-bone accumulations of technetium-99m-HMDP
H Ikehira1, Y Furuichi, M Kinjo
1Department of Radiology, Kawatetsu Chiba Hospital, Japan.
Journal of Nuclear Medicine Technology
|May 14, 1999
Summary
Bone scintigraphy revealed unexpected uptake in aortic atherosclerosis, mimicking bone metastases. This finding highlights the importance of careful interpretation of imaging in cancer patients, differentiating calcification from metastatic disease.
Area of Science:
- Nuclear Medicine
- Radiology
- Oncology
Background:
- Rectal cancer patients undergo follow-up imaging to detect recurrence.
- Bone scintigraphy is a common tool for identifying bone metastases.
Observation:
- A patient 2 years and 10 months post-rectal cancer surgery showed intense extra-bone tracer accumulation on bone scintigraphy.
- The accumulation was observed in both a liver tumor and an aortic atherosclerosis lesion.
Findings:
- X-ray computed tomography (CT) confirmed the liver lesion as a metastatic tumor.
- X-ray CT identified the aortic lesion as typical calcification, not bone metastasis.
Implications:
- This case demonstrates that aortic atherosclerosis can exhibit high tracer uptake on bone scintigraphy, potentially mimicking bone metastases.
- Radiologists and nuclear medicine physicians must consider vascular calcifications when interpreting bone scans in cancer survivors.
- Accurate differentiation is crucial for appropriate patient management and avoiding unnecessary interventions.