The use of radioisotope scans in the evaluation of primary lymphoma of bone.

Primary lymphoma of bone is a rare lesion comprising less than 5% of all malignant primary bone tumors. Because of this rarity, the diagnosis of this lesion based on clinical findings and standard radiographic evaluations is extremely difficult and may not be entertained until after a biopsy has been performed. We retrospectively reviewed the cases of 22 consecutive patients with a diagnosis of primary lymphoma of bone (appendicular and axial skeleton) who along with standard radiographic evaluations had a technetium 99 bone scan performed as part of the preoperative staging process. A characteristic pattern demonstrating an increased uptake of intense tracer concentration peripherally and a relatively cold central area was seen consistently in all cases. This uptake pattern is then reversed with use of a gallium 67 scan. Because of the ambiguity of plain radiographs in the evaluation of adult bone lesions, radioisotope bone scans should be used as a diagnostic aid in an attempt to obtain as much information as possible about the biologic behavior of the bony lesion prior to any surgical intervention.