Oncogenic osteomalacia diagnosed by blood pool scintigraphy

Oncogenic osteomalacia is a rare metabolic bone disease characterized by phosphaturia and hypophosphatemia. Certain tumors secrete a phosphaturic factor, which results in this metabolic abnormality; this factor called as phosphatonin, is in fact a fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF-23) involved closely in phosphate homeostasis and skeletogenesis. Complete excision of these tumors facilitates reversal of the problem. We have reported here the case of a patient who was crippled with this disease and on thorough investigation revealed an oncogenic osteomalacia with tumor focus in the right tibia. The tumor was identified as a mesenchymal tumor, i.e., hemangiopericytoma. Tumor excision alleviated patient symptoms with rapid symptomatic and biochemical improvement.