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Is A Bone Scan Recommended While Suffering From Lower Back Pain?
Question: My wife, 40, went for x-ray for low back pain and sciatica type pain going down the side of the right leg from hip region. The x-ray was normal except a somewhat round 2 cm sclerotic foci on the right intertrochanteric region. The radiologist recommended bone scan to exclude osteoblastic activity. Could it be something serious?
Brief Answer:
NEOPLASTiC BONE DISEASE.
Detailed Answer:
Dear XXXX,
Thanks for the question posed by you. Frankly telling you the sclerotic focal lesion in the intertrochentric area will not give rise to the pain the character of which you are describing. This type of pain is called sciatica the origin of which is lesion or pathology in the lumbosacral area. Of course the sclerotic lesion needs to be explored and may need a biopsy examination.
As far as the pain, you may do MRI of spine to rule out nerve compression, usually if the scan is normal such pains are relieved by postural correction and limb traction. Even some over the counter available muscle relaxant can lead to good improvement. Sometimes small surgical procedure is needed to relieve the compression.
I hope your question is answered.
Truly,
Dr j ticku
NEOPLASTiC BONE DISEASE.
Detailed Answer:
Dear XXXX,
Thanks for the question posed by you. Frankly telling you the sclerotic focal lesion in the intertrochentric area will not give rise to the pain the character of which you are describing. This type of pain is called sciatica the origin of which is lesion or pathology in the lumbosacral area. Of course the sclerotic lesion needs to be explored and may need a biopsy examination.
As far as the pain, you may do MRI of spine to rule out nerve compression, usually if the scan is normal such pains are relieved by postural correction and limb traction. Even some over the counter available muscle relaxant can lead to good improvement. Sometimes small surgical procedure is needed to relieve the compression.
I hope your question is answered.
Truly,
Dr j ticku
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Prasad
Dear Dr. Ticku,
Thank you very much for your reply. My wife will be going for the bone scan this Thursday and we are extremely worried. Do benign tumors also show up on the bone scan or only the malignant ones show? And looking at the X-ray and from your experience do you think it could be metastatic? Are bone mets very common in this intertrochanteric region of femur? Reason I'm asking is because I heard this region is more prone to only benign tumors like bone islands. Thanks again!
Sincerely,
XXXX
Thank you very much for your reply. My wife will be going for the bone scan this Thursday and we are extremely worried. Do benign tumors also show up on the bone scan or only the malignant ones show? And looking at the X-ray and from your experience do you think it could be metastatic? Are bone mets very common in this intertrochanteric region of femur? Reason I'm asking is because I heard this region is more prone to only benign tumors like bone islands. Thanks again!
Sincerely,
XXXX
Brief Answer:
BONY MTASTASIS.
Detailed Answer:
DEAR XXXX,
A SCLEROTIC INTERTROCHENTERIC LESION OF COURSE NEEDS TO BE EXPLORED AND IT IS NOT NECESSARY THAT IT MAY BE MALIGNANT. BONE SCAN IS DONE TO RULE OUT THE INVOLVEMENT OF OTHER BONES IN THE BODY. IF ANY THE FINAL DIAGNOSIS HAS TO COME BY BIOPSY. IT IS VERY DIFFICULT TO SAY ON BONE SCAN IF THE LESION IS BENIGN OR MALIGNANT. EVEN PET SCAN HAS FLAWS. THESE THINGS GIVE CLUE FOR FURTHER INVESTIGATIONS AND SEE IF THERE IS ANY OTHER LESION IN THE BODY. MANY TIMES SCLEROTIC FINDINGS ARE COMMON ANOMALIES IN NORMAL X RAYS AND MEAN NOTHING .LET US SEE WHAT IS FOUND IN BONE SCAN. IF THE ACTIVITY OF THE LESION ON SCAN IS HIGH WE HAVE TO LOOK AT IT WITH SUSPICION.
TRULY,
DR. J. TICKU
BONY MTASTASIS.
Detailed Answer:
DEAR XXXX,
A SCLEROTIC INTERTROCHENTERIC LESION OF COURSE NEEDS TO BE EXPLORED AND IT IS NOT NECESSARY THAT IT MAY BE MALIGNANT. BONE SCAN IS DONE TO RULE OUT THE INVOLVEMENT OF OTHER BONES IN THE BODY. IF ANY THE FINAL DIAGNOSIS HAS TO COME BY BIOPSY. IT IS VERY DIFFICULT TO SAY ON BONE SCAN IF THE LESION IS BENIGN OR MALIGNANT. EVEN PET SCAN HAS FLAWS. THESE THINGS GIVE CLUE FOR FURTHER INVESTIGATIONS AND SEE IF THERE IS ANY OTHER LESION IN THE BODY. MANY TIMES SCLEROTIC FINDINGS ARE COMMON ANOMALIES IN NORMAL X RAYS AND MEAN NOTHING .LET US SEE WHAT IS FOUND IN BONE SCAN. IF THE ACTIVITY OF THE LESION ON SCAN IS HIGH WE HAVE TO LOOK AT IT WITH SUSPICION.
TRULY,
DR. J. TICKU
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Sonia Raina
Dear Dr. Ticku,
Thank you very much for providing further guidance. Really appreciated.
Sincerely,
XXXX
Thank you very much for providing further guidance. Really appreciated.
Sincerely,
XXXX
Brief Answer:
BONE METS.
Detailed Answer:
Dear XXXX,
Thank you very much.
Dr. Ticku
BONE METS.
Detailed Answer:
Dear XXXX,
Thank you very much.
Dr. Ticku
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Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Sonia Raina
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