Bone scanning in the child and young adult. Part I.

Radionuclide bone scanning will identify readily areas of the skeleton where vascularity or osteogenesis is disturbed. Frequently, this will be achieved with a greater sensitivity than orthodox radiology by reflecting altered local physiology of bone. This procedure is, therefore, valuable not only for identifying metastatic disease, but also in benign skeletal disorders characterised by altered blood flow or osteoblastic reaction. These changes occur in many diseases involving bone which are more common in children and young adults. Special attention to the performance of the study and to its interpretation is, however, required in these age groups. The bone scan is invaluable in detecting metastatic disease related to either primary bone tumours or other neoplasia, both in the initial investigation and in the evaluation of therapy. Extra-osseous uptake may also occur, providing useful information relevant to the care of these patients.