Positive findings on bone scan in multiple myeloma

We report a case of multiple myeloma in which the bone lesions showed high uptake of technetium Tc 99m methylene diphosphonate on a bone scan. A revie w of the literature comparing the usefulness of conventional skeletal radio graphy and bone scans in diagnosing the osteolytic lesions of myeloma shows that bone scintigraphy, considered by many to have no role in the detectio n of osteolytic lesions of myeloma, is in fact more sensitive than radiogra phy in detecting lesions in the ribs, scapula, and spine.