[Two cases of generalized disseminated atypical mycobacterium showing multiple accumulations on bone scintigraphy]

For determining the spread of multiple bone lesions in generalized disseminated atypical mycobacteriosis a rare disease, bone scintigraphy was found useful in our two patients. They were both female, and the pathogenic microbe was M. avium intracellulare complex. The disease appeared to have been induced by defatigation. The depression of cellular immunocompetence was also suspected to be responsible. Bone scintigraphy disclosed multiple abnormal accumulations systematically. The Definitive diagnosis in these cases was established by biopsy. In differential diagnosis of this disease by bone scintigraphy, bone metastasis of a malignant tumor was considered of primary importance. Although antitubercular chemotherapy resulted in improvement of subjective symptoms and inflammation, abnormal accumulation persisted. There was necessity for taking notice that in the decision of the treatment effect of this disease, improvement of abnormal accumulations on bone scintigraphy was delayed that of inflammatory reaction.