Bone-scan appearance of benign oral pathologic conditions

Area of Science:

• Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology
• Nuclear Medicine
• Dental Pathology

Background:

• Bone scintigraphy is a sensitive imaging technique.
• Interpreting bone scans requires differentiating between physiological and pathological findings.
• Dental conditions can present as focal abnormalities on bone scans.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the appearance of various benign dental pathologies on bone scans.
• To determine if common dental conditions can cause false-positive bone scan results.
• To aid clinicians in correctly interpreting bone scan findings in the maxillofacial region.

Main Methods:

• Bone scans were performed on 22 patients.
• Dental examinations were conducted concurrently.
• Correlation between imaging findings and clinical/radiographic diagnoses was performed.

Main Results:

• Positive bone scan findings were associated with periodontal and periapical inflammation.
• Healing wounds, traumatized alveolar ridges, and multiple cementomas also resulted in positive scans.
• These dental pathologies mimic malignant lesions on bone scintigraphy.

Conclusions:

• Benign dental diseases frequently cause positive bone scans.
• Radiologists and clinicians should be aware of these dental causes to avoid misdiagnosis.
• Proper interpretation prevents unnecessary investigation for malignancy.