Table of Contents
What does increased radiotracer mean?
Thus, increased radiotracer uptake occurs with multiple pathologic processes such as fractures, infection, malignant disease and less commonly encountered osseous diseases like Paget disease, fibrous dysplasia, osteoid osteoma, and complex regional pain syndrome.
What does radiotracer uptake mean?
The radioactive iodine uptake test (RAIU) is also known as a thyroid uptake. It is a measurement of thyroid function, but does not involve imaging. Nuclear medicine uses small amounts of radioactive material called radiotracers. Doctors use nuclear medicine to diagnose, evaluate, and treat various diseases.
What is radiotracer uptake on a bone scan?
A bone scan is a test that uses nuclear imaging to helps diagnose and track several types of bone disease. Nuclear imaging involves using small amounts of radioactive substances (radiotracers), a special camera that can detect the radioactivity and a computer to see structures such as bones inside the body.
Does uptake on a bone scan mean cancer?
In the case of the bone scan, there will be “uptake” anywhere there is new bone formation. This is not always 100% cancer. Uptake will also show where there is degenerative disease, previous fractures and sometimes arthritis.
What does uptake in bone marrow mean?
Objectives A diffuse or focal bone marrow (BM) FDG uptake usually reflects hyperplastic BM or pathologic process such as involvement of malignancy or hematopoietic disease. We have sometimes encountered mild focal marrow FDG uptake and it is difficult to differentiate from early sign of metastasis.
What does it mean when there is activity on a PET scan?
Tumor cells have a high rate of activity. This causes the tumors to take up, or attract, more of the tracer. This makes the cancer cells look more “active” or brighter than other areas on the scan pictures.
Can a bone scan tell the difference between cancer and arthritis?
Many changes that show up on a bone scan are not cancer. With arthritis, the radioactive material tends to show up on the bone surfaces of joints, not inside the bone. But it can be hard to tell the difference between arthritis and cancer — especially in the spine.
How do I read my bone scan results?
Understanding DXA Results
- A T-score of -1.0 or above is normal bone density. Examples are 0.9, 0 and -0.9.
- A T-score between -1.0 and -2.5 means you have low bone mass or osteopenia. Examples are T-scores of -1.1, -1.6 and -2.4.
- A T-score of -2.5 or below is a diagnosis of osteoporosis.
What causes increased bone marrow activity?
This may happen when the oxygen content of body tissues is low, if there is loss of blood or anemia, or if the number of red blood cells decreases. If these things happen, the kidneys produce and release erythropoietin, which is a hormone that stimulates bone marrow to produce more red blood cells.
How do you read a bone scan result?
The lower your score, the weaker your bones are:
- T-score of -1.0 or above = normal bone density.
- T-score between -1.0 and -2.5 = low bone density, or osteopenia.
- T-score of -2.5 or lower = osteoporosis.
What causes increased uptake on PET scan?
Conclusion: Benign lesions with increased FDG uptake are found in more than 25% of the PET/CT studies performed in patients with proven or suspected malignancy, with inflammation being the most common cause.
What does uptake mean on a PET scan?
FDG uptake refers to the amount of radiotracer uptake. There’s a perception among patients that anything with uptake is abnormal. However, this is not always true and can cause unnecessary alarm and concern.
Can you have bone cancer for years and not know it?
Some people with bone cancer have no symptoms other than feeling a painless lump. For others, a variety of symptoms can develop. These symptoms may also occur because of other conditions, such as arthritis or Lyme disease, which may delay the diagnosis.