What is the definition or description of: bone scintigraphy?

Whole skeleton image: Bone scintigraphy or simply bone scan is a versatile tool that can image benign and malignant osseous processes. A radiopharmaceutical is administered to the patient and images of the body are acquired after a varying delay time. The scan is highly sensitive, is readily available but has low specificity, therefore a report from an experienced nuclear medicine trained physician is preferable.

Scan of skeleton: Bone scintigraphy involves the intravenous injection of radioisotope. This agent accumulates in areas of bone metabolism. There are multile phases to bone scan. The early phases demonstrate blood supply and the delayed phase bone metabolism. Areas of increased uptake can be caused by tumor, infection, and fracture. Decreased uptake can be caused by bone infarction, aggressive tumor and infection.

Bone scan: Bone scintigraphy ( or radionuclide bone scan) is the study of bone metabolism obtained after intravenous injection of a weakly radioactive material ( usually 99mtc-mdp) which concentrates into the bones. The scan is usually obtained 3-4 hours after the injection of the radiotracer. According to the symptoms, the scan can be localized to one site or it can be a whole-body scan, from head to toes.