The role of whole-body bone scintigraphy in a case of osteopetrosis

Male patient, 35 years old, with occasional mild intensity back pain. Lumbosacral spine radiography showed bone structure with increased density, diffusely and symmetrically, conferring to the vertebral bodies “bone-within-bone” aspect, suggesting osteopetrosis (OP). Whole-body bone scintigraphy showed abnormal uptake in proximal epiphysis of both the humeri, tibias and fibulas, distal epiphysis of the femurs and focal in the ribs suggesting old fractures. Conclusions: Nuclear Medicine may provide an important contribution as supporting diagnosis and extensive skeletal evaluation such as fractures and infection. Bone scintigraphy might also be used for baseline assessments, allowing longitudinal monitoring of the disease and patient follow-up.