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Fortuitous detection of pseudoaneurysm by three-phase bone scan
Z Unsal Coskun1, Charles E Stewart, Martin Robinson
1Department of Radiology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center-Dallas, Dallas, TX 75390, USA.
Clinical Nuclear Medicine
|September 17, 2005
Summary
A 3-phase bone scan unexpectedly diagnosed a lower extremity pseudoaneurysm, a benign vascular lesion. Nuclear medicine practitioners should recognize this scan
Area of Science:
- Nuclear Medicine
- Vascular Imaging
- Diagnostic Radiology
Background:
- Pseudoaneurysms are often diagnosed using duplex ultrasonography.
- Malignancy is a common indication for 3-phase bone scans in the lower extremity.
Observation:
- A 3-phase bone scan, intended to evaluate a presumed malignancy, revealed an unsuspected pseudoaneurysm.
- The pseudoaneurysm presented as increased radiotracer activity during blood-flow and blood-pool phases, transitioning to a photopenic area on delayed images.
Findings:
- Duplex ultrasonography and angiography confirmed the pseudoaneurysm diagnosis.
- The characteristic imaging findings on 3-phase bone scan are crucial for identifying pseudoaneurysms.
Implications:
- Nuclear medicine practitioners must be vigilant for pseudoaneurysm indicators on 3-phase bone scans.
- Benign vascular lesions should be considered in the differential diagnosis of abnormal 3-phase bone scans, especially when malignancy is suspected.