Skeletal metastases of melanoma: radiographic, scintigraphic, and clinical review

The radiographic manifestations of 127 skeletal metastases in 50 patients with melanoma were reviewed and correlated with the scintigraphic findings. Although the features of most of the metastases were nonspecific and appeared similar to those of other osteolytic metastases, several of them had unusual features, including expansion, subarticular location, osteosclerosis, and a thin, sclerotic rim. These features could result in some of the metastases being mistaken for other lesions. The radionuclide bone scans were more sensitive in that they detected the lesions earlier and in greater numbers than the radiographs. Prognosis was poor once skeletal metastasis was diagnosed, the mean survival time being 4.7 months.