Bone scan

What are some disadvantages of a bone scan?

Non-specific in nature and correlation with other imaging modalities or biochemical tests can be required

What is an example of correlation with other modalities being needed?

When investigating a painful joint prosthesis such as a hip or knee replacement, it is often difficult to determine whether pain is due to infections or from a loosening prosthesis

Hybrid SPECT/CT cameras allow

fusion of the CT bone anatomy to the NM physiology

What could a cold spot mean?

lack of blood supply to the bone or certain types of cancer

5 Reasons for a bone scan?

UDISH- Unexplained bone pain, detect bone cancer, infections, spreading, help diagnose

What is a hot spot

Areas of fast bone growth or repair that absorb more tracer- will appear bright

What is a cold spot

Areas that absorb little or no amount of tracer- will appear dark

What is the most commonly performed Nuclear Medicine procedure worldwide?

Bone scan

What are some advantages of a bone scan?

CASED- for carpal fractures to rule out a fracture, allows scanning of a greater area, stress fractures are difficult to see on an x-ray but easily detected on a bone scan, earlier diagnosis, detection of a greater number of lesions

Which pathology of bone does nuclear medicine have the greatest value in?

Congenital

What are the two pathologies of bone?

Congential and acquired

Steps of a bone scan

Radioactive substance is injected and travels through bloodstream and into the bones, this may take several hours. At optimal imaging time, the patient is scanned and images are taken to represent te bones function at that given time.

What does a bone scan evaluate

both bone physiology and skeletal anatomy

What is acquired?

contracted since birth

What could a hot spot mean?

may be a sign of arthritis, tumour, fracture or an infection

What is congenital ?

present at birth