The bone scan in inflammatory osseous disease

The 99mTc-phosphate bone scan has become a sensitive, reliable, and safe method for evaluating the patient with suspected inflammatory disease of bone. The scan may become positive as early as the first 24 hr after the symptoms and 10–14 days before roentgenographic changes occur. It can be used to differentiate successfully a variety of diseases from osteomyelitis, and in conjunction with 67Ga-citrate scan has become a mainstay in the work-up of the patient with infectious disease. Applications of the bone scan to infectious diseases in pediatric practice are especially helpful, since these diseases are common problems in this age group. Increased experience with the 99mTc-phosphate bone scan has already defined several areas of “limitations” in evaluating inflammatory disease. “Cold” defects, negative scans in early stages of osteomyelitis, and “extended uptake” may all pose problems in interpretation, but careful correlation of the bone scan results with clinical history and physical findings, blood cultures, and roentgenography will significantly reduce these problems.