The "whisker sign" as an indicator of ochronosis in skeletal scintigraphy.
A patient with alkaptonuria and ochronotic arthrosis was imaged twice with technetium-99m dicarboxypropane diphosphonate (99mTc-DPD)--once during a bout of arthritic knee pain and once when symptom-free. There was a marked accumulation of radioactivity in the large joints. During the episode of arthritis the knee joints had a higher uptake than when the patient was without symptoms. The intervertebral discs showed a high uptake which extended laterally from the axial vertebral column; the finding gave an impression of whiskers, and this "whisker sign" may be characteristic of ochronosis.
Paul
R
R
Turku University Central Hospital, Department of Nuclear Medicine, Finland.
Ylinen
S L
SL
D000474:Alkaptonuria / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D001842:Bone and Bones / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D004164:Diphosphonates; D006801:Humans; D007719:Knee Joint / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009794:Ochronosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D015609:Organotechnetium Compounds; D011859:Radiography; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D013131:Spine / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging
D004164:Diphosphonates; D015609:Organotechnetium Compounds; C033905:technetium Tc 99m 1,1-diphosphonopropane-2,3-dicarboxylic acid