The usefulness of nucleomedical procedures in diagnosis of fibrous dysplasia

Bone scintigraphy with 99mTc-phosphorous compounds and 67Ga scintigraphy were performed in 8 patients (monostotic 3 cases, polyostotic 5 cases) with fibrous dysplasia. The tendency toward abnormal accumulation of radioactivity on bone scintigraphy was high in the tibia, maxilla, mandibule and ribs. The characteristics of the scintigraphic image at the sites of bone lesion in fibrous dysplasia were judged to be marked (++), moderate (+) or poor or minimal (-), according to the degree of accumulation of radioactivity. Eleven sites of fibrous dysplasia showed marked accumulation and 5 sites showed moderate accumulation. Poor or minimal accumulation was not observed in any fibrous dysplasia lesions. Sclerotic changes on bone roentgenograms appeared as marked accumulation of radionuclides on bone scintigraphy in all cases. Cystic changes on roentgenograms showed a tendency toward moderate accumulation on scintigrams. 67Ga scans were also all positive for 2 experimental cases (3 sites) of bone lesions of fibrous dysplasia. Thus, bone and 67Ga scintigraphies appear to be useful and essential in evaluating the pathophysiology of fibrous dysplasia. (author)