radioisotope bone scan; bone scintigraphy; osseous survey

Indications

• bone neoplasm
• bone metastases
• hypertrophic osteoarthropathy
  • hypertrophic pulmonary osteoarthropathy
• osteomyelitis
• nondisplaced bone fractures
• reflex sympathetic dystrophy
• Paget's disease of the bone

Contraindications

• not useful for multiple myeloma (lesions often purely lytic)

Clinical significance

• patterns of uptake
  • increased uptake in skull, femur & pelvis in Paget's disease of the bone

Mechanism of action

• detects osteoblastic activity

More general terms

• scintigraphy (radionuclide test)

More specific terms

• radioisotope bone scan for metastases