Diagnostic oncology case study: lytic spine lesion and cold bone scan.
In summary, when photon-deficient lesions are demonstrated on bone scans of patients in the cancer age group, metastatic disease should be the first consideration. This is especially true in the presence of a lytic bone lesion. Bronchogenic and breast carcinomas are the most common primaries. A negative physical examination and normal CEA levels do not exclude the possibility of metastatic breast cancer.
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000556:secondary; D001706:Biopsy; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae; D008327:Mammography; D008875:Middle Aged; D010808:Physical Examination; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D013125:Spinal Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000556:secondary; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed