BONE-SCINTIGRAPHY IN GROWTH HORMONE-SECRETING PULMONARY-CANCER AND HYPERTROPHIC OSTEOARTHROPATHY

Hypertrophic osteoarthropathy was detected in a 55-yr-old man with pul monary squamous-cell cancer by bone scintigraphy using Tc-99m-hydroxy methylene diphosphonate (HMDP). Intense symmetrical uptake was demonst rated in the distal portions of the long bones as was the parallel tra ct sign, accompanied by markedly elevated serum growth hormone levels. After chemoradiotherapy for pulmonary cancer, the arthralgia disappea red and scintigraphic findings and serum growth hormone levels improve d, suggesting that ectopic production of growth hormone in the pulmona ry tumor had been associated with hypertrophic osteoarthropathy. These findings indicate that bone scintigraphy is useful for detecting hype rtrophic osteoarthropathy, and assessing alterations in hypertrophic o steoarthropathy activity post-treatment.