HISTOPATHOLOGIC CORRELATES OF A POSITIVE BONE-SCAN

The accumulation of radioactive tracer is associated with specific his tological changes, Awareness of these changes permits a more specific interpretation of a positive bone scan, especially when correlating th e radionuclide image with the plain radiographs, Increased uptake in t he flow phase of an imaging study usually corresponds to differentiate d vascular spaces, In the blood pool phase, tracer accumulation is cau sed by neovascularity, a feature of reactive granulation tissue or neo plastic angiogenesis. In the delayed phase, tracer uptake is attributa ble to osteoid production, With plain radiographic correlation, the ma nner of osteoid deposition-remodeling, endochondral, reactive, or neop lastic-can be determined, The knowledge of these histological features may help the nuclear radiologist make the correct diagnosis. Copyrigh t (C) 1997 by W.B. Saunders Company.