bone scan
A nuclear medicine imaging study using technetium-99m to detect areas of increased bone metabolism, used for staging bone tumors.
Full Definition
A bone scan, also known as bone scintigraphy, is a nuclear medicine imaging technique that uses technetium-99m labeled phosphonate compounds to identify areas of increased osteoblastic activity throughout the skeleton. In orthopedic oncology, bone scans are primarily used for detecting skeletal metastases and assessing the extent of primary bone tumors. The radiotracer accumulates preferentially in areas of high bone turnover, appearing as 'hot spots' on the scan. While highly sensitive for detecting bone abnormalities, bone scans have limited specificity and require correlation with other imaging modalities.
Usage
Usage note: Use 'bone scan' rather than 'bone scintigraphy' in patient communications.
In Context
- "The bone scan revealed multiple hot spots concerning for skeletal metastases." — Staging report
- "Follow-up bone scan showed resolution of increased uptake following treatment." — Treatment response evaluation