Bone scintigraphy of benign jaw lesions

Bone scintigraphy has been performed two or more times within a year on 12 patients: four with cherubism, four with fibrous dysplasia, and four with osteomyelitis of the mandible. In cherubism abnormal scintigrams were found only in the regressive period with new bone formation, while in fibrous dysplasia, abnormal scintigrams were found in all cases, even in patients where the disease was expected to be stationary. In osteomyelitis the changes in the scintigrams corresponded to clinical and radiological changes. Bone scintigraphy may be used as a differential diagnostic aid in doubtful cases of cherubism and fibrous dysplasia, or to reveal any lesions of other bones. The method cannot be used for differentiating between fibrous dysplasia and osteomyelitis, but bone scintigraphy may be useful in the early diagnosis or the late control of osteomyelitis in the jaws.