05.07.2021 – 18:41
A bone scan, also known as bone scintigraphy, is a nuclear imaging technique in which a small amount of radioactive material is injected into a vein to highlight areas of bone damage or disease. The injected compound, called a tracer, is taken from cells and tissues that are being repaired. A bone scan is a relatively safe procedure and is useful for diagnosing a large number of bone conditions, including fractures, infections, and cancer.
Purpose of the Test
A bone scan may be ordered if you are experiencing unexplained bone pain or have signs and symptoms of a bone disease. Among some of the reasons why your doctor will require a bone scan:
To assess bone trauma that an X-ray cannot show
To determine fractures that are difficult to locate
Investigate an unexplained bone fracture (pathological fracture)
To determine the age of a fracture
To investigate persistent pain in the extremities, ribs or spine
To assess a bone infection detected by other tests
To assess the damage caused by arthritis and other bone disorders
To determine if blood flow to a bone is obstructed
To determine the presence of primary or secondary bone cancer
To stage bone cancer
To monitor response to treatment for a bone disease
Usefulness for diagnosis
Using a bone scan, a nuclear medicine technologist can quickly determine areas of damage with a specialized instrument called a gamma camera. The gamma camera is designed to capture patterns of internal radiation and translate them into a two-dimensional image.
A bone scan is an extremely sensitive test that can detect even small abnormalities in bone metabolism. It is essential for the investigation of bone cancers, including secondary (metastatic) cancers.
Among the conditions, a bone scan can help diagnose, monitor or characterize:
Arthritis
Vascular necrosis, bone death due to limited blood flow
Benign bone tumors
Bone fractures
Fibrous dysplasia, a genetic disorder that affects the normal development of bone tissue
Osteomalacia, abnormal softening of the bones
Osteomyelitis, a type of bone infection
Osteopetrosis, abnormally weak and brittle bones
Paget’s disease, a disorder that affects normal bone remodeling
Primary bone cancers, such as osteosarcoma
Secondary bone cancers that have spread from a primary tumor
A bone scan is routinely performed after certain cancer diagnoses to actively check for bone metastasis.
Advantages and disadvantages
A bone scan has both advantages and disadvantages. Among them:
A bone scan will produce images that are much less detailed than a positron emission (PET) scan, but will also be much less costly.
While a bone scan is very sensitive in detecting lesions and other bone abnormalities, the images are nonspecific and may require further investigation with PET, computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), or biopsy. of bone.
That being said, because a bone scan is less costly than any of these other tests, it can provide a valuable entry point into a diagnosis.
Risks and Contraindications
A bone scan involves the use of a radioactive tracer, most commonly a substance known as technetium-99m, which is injected into the bloodstream.
While this can be a cause for concern, the level of radiation emitted is extremely low, much less than what you would be exposed to with a CT scan. It also has a relatively short half-life of the medication (about six hours), which means it will be excreted from the system within one to two days.
The gamma scanner itself does not emit radiation. The only side effects associated with the procedure are those related to the radioactive tracer.
You should consult your doctor if you have a heart condition or are taking any heart medication. This does not preclude you from taking the test, but it does mean that the condition should be monitored during the procedure.
In general, nuclear medicine of any kind is avoided in pregnant women. Obesity can also be a factor as long as most scan boards have a maximum weight of 99.8 kg. If you are more severe, your doctor may need to explore other diagnostic options.
Breastfeeding women should breastfeed the baby immediately before the test, then stop breastfeeding for 24 hours, pumping and discarding that breast milk. If you are breastfeeding, you can keep a spare sassi for 24 hours after the test. Hugging and being close to baby j after the test does not pose any risk to them.
