Problems and limitations of bone scanning with the 99Tcm-phosphates

99Tcm-phosphate bone scans are being increasingly used in the detection of bony metatases. The sensitivity of the bone scan and the non-specific nature of the isotope image, when compared with radiographs, make it important to be aware of the problems and limitations of the technique. This paper describes and illustrates some of the diagnostic problems encountered by the author over the past 3 years.