Gangrenous Leg in a Patient With Diabetes on MDP Bone Scintigraphy

Diabetic patients with peripheral arterial disease frequently experience gangrene of the lower limbs. It has been suggested that a bone scan is useful in differentiating viable from nonviable tissues in patients with extensive peripheral gangrene and thus can help determine the appropriate level of amputation in such patients. We present a 68-year-old diabetic woman with right breast cancer, who was referred to our facility for a bone scan as part of her metastatic workup. Bone scan findings revealed absolute photon deficiency in the distal half of her left lower limb.