Augmented radioactivity on bone scans of limbs bearing osteosarcomas

Thirteen patients with biopsy-proven osteosarcomas were studied with 99mTc-labeled bone-scanning agents. In addition to the dense areas of abnormal uptake corresponding to the tumors, ten patients exhibited a relative increase of radioactivity at the ends of the long bones of the affected extremities. Several of these areas were included in the surgical specimens but no tumor cells were found.