Bone scan in sickle cell crisis.

99mTc-diphosphonate bone scans of 13 patients in acute sickle crisis were analyzed. Twelve of the 13 patients had abnormal scans, with increased activity in joints and skull being a common finding. One patient with splenic calcification and two patients without splenic calcification had splenic uptake of diphosphonate. Most of the abnormal scans showed hot areas, with cold areas seen only in four cases. There was no correlation between the site of pain clinically and the abnormal areas on scanning. The pathophysiology of the abnormal uptake of radioactivity and the role of bone scanning on sickle cell disease are discussed.