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A member asked:

Can nuclear bone scans distinguish between joint inflammation caused by rheumatoid arthritis and inflammation caused by lupus? if so, how?

A doctor has provided 1 answer
Dr. Mohammad Ashori answered

Specializes in Family Medicine

It can't: Unfortunately the bone scans cannot differentiate between cancer, inflammation or infection. Those conditions both would/could cause a lot swelling of the synovium which would just show up as a flaring on the bone scan, not different from each other.

Answered 12/7/2016

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