Purpose: Clinical and scintigraphic findings are described in a patient wit
h unexpected diffuse lung uptake on bone scan after a heroin overdose.
Methods: The patient's Tc-99m MDP bone scan is reviewed along with the pert
inent clinical history and laboratory findings.
Results: Marked diffuse and symmetric lung uptake is present on bone scinti
graphy in a patient with a history of acute renal failure and a markedly el
evated calcium-phosphate product but normal renal function and laboratory v
alues at the time of the examination.
Conclusions: The incidental observation of metastatic calcification by bone
scintigraphy is important, because it may aid in the diagnosis of a previo
usly unsuggested elevated calcium-phosphate product, renal failure, or both
. Furthermore, the intensity of tracer localization on bone tracer-specific
imaging may help evaluate the activity of the metastatic calcification pro
cess.