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Scintigraphic flare in skeletal lymphoma
L M White1, B G Gray, M Ichise
1Department of Radiology, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Clinical Nuclear Medicine
|August 1, 1994
Summary
The bone scan flare phenomenon can mimic cancer progression in patients with skeletal lymphoma. Recognizing this imaging artifact is crucial when using bone scintigraphy to monitor treatment effectiveness.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Nuclear Medicine
- Radiology
Background:
- Skeletal lymphoma requires accurate monitoring of treatment response.
- Bone scintigraphy is a common imaging technique for assessing bone involvement.
Observation:
- A patient with treated skeletal lymphoma exhibited an unusual increase in radiotracer uptake on bone scintigraphy.
- This finding, known as the bone scan flare phenomenon, was initially concerning for disease progression.
Findings:
- The flare phenomenon was confirmed to be an imaging artifact, not indicative of tumor growth.
- Gallium scanning and computed tomography (CT) corroborated the absence of actual disease progression.
Implications:
- The bone scan flare phenomenon must be recognized to avoid misinterpreting treatment response in lymphoma patients.
- Accurate interpretation of serial bone scintigraphy is essential for appropriate clinical management.
- Understanding imaging artifacts improves diagnostic accuracy in oncological imaging.