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Monitoring Tumor Metastases and Osteolytic Lesions with Bioluminescence and Micro CT Imaging
Published on: April 14, 2011
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Osteoblastic Metastases Mimickers on Contrast Enhanced CT.
Fahad Al-Lhedan1, Sam Samaan2, Wanzhen Zeng2
1Medical Imaging Department, King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz University Hospital, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Case Reports in Radiology
|August 18, 2017
Summary
New osteoblastic lesions in lymphoma patients may not indicate metastasis. These findings can mimic spinal metastases due to collateral circulation from chronic venous occlusive thrombosis, highlighting the need for careful interpretation in lymphoma follow-up.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Radiology
- Pathology
Background:
- Secondary osseous involvement is common in lymphoma, necessitating accurate detection for staging and treatment.
- Osseous metastases in lymphoma require careful imaging evaluation to identify extent and potential complications like fractures or cord compression.
Observation:
- Two patients with treated lymphoma in remission presented with new, concerning osteoblastic spinal lesions on contrast-enhanced CT.
- Further investigations revealed no corresponding suspicious osseous lesions in these patients.
Findings:
- The observed osteoblastic lesions were attributed to collateral formation secondary to chronic venous occlusive thrombosis.
- Contrast enhancement in vertebral body marrow, due to venous collaterals, can mimic spinal osteoblastic metastases.
Implications:
- This presentation underscores the importance of considering non-malignant causes of osteoblastic lesions in lymphoma patients.
- Radiologists must differentiate true osseous metastases from imaging artifacts caused by venous abnormalities to avoid misdiagnosis and inappropriate treatment.
