Bone Scan Concern

Rona,

For every bone in the skeleton to be involved, the process would have to be systemic. Such things as osteomalacia, Paget's disease, or renal osteodystrophy could cause diffuse increased uptake. But, even in these disorders, there are usually specific areas of even more intense uptake.

Increased uptake is seen in areas where the bone is metabolically active. Which is why inflammation, infection, fractures, stress reactions, tumors, etc will show up as darker areas on the scan. And, also why growth plates in children light up.


You will need to have the study read by a nuclear medicine physician.


There are ways to post pictures here an eHealth, but sorry, I do not know how. But, if you do a search for how to post images, I believe it will tell you how.

Good luck.

Rona,

I have also answered your other posts. As I stated in one of the other posts, there doesn't really seem to be any hot spots that jump out at you. Usually with primary tumors, and especially metastases (mets), you would have an area of discrete increased uptake.

If you google bone scan, you can see some images of patients who have mets. Their bone scans often show multiple little hot spots all over the body. Though in the early time frame, there may only be a couple. You do not really see that on this study.


This study really looks like it is overexposed. The areas of increased uptake are all in the normal areas, with maybe some extra increased uptake in the large weight bearing joints, and the shoulders, which could be consistent with osteoarthritis.


You really need to have this officially read. That way you will know exactly what is going on. If you do get the official reading, it would be interesting to know what it says, if you wouldn't mind.

Also, any study needs to be correlated with the patient's history, symptoms, and physical exam. It cannot just be taken on its own merits, it has to be used in conjunction with the other things.


Good luck.