Bone scanning and radiography in the evaluation of patients with malignant lymphoma.

The diagnostic value of bone scintigraphy and radiography in the detection of lymphomatous bone involvement, and the role of bone scintigraphy in the evaluation of lymphomatous bone marrow involvement, were investigated in 41 patients with malignant lymphoma. 10 patients had lymphomatous bone involvement. Whereas scintigraphy detected all the 10 cases, radiography was false negative in 2 cases. The lytic bone lesions on radiography were in most cases not detected by scintigraphy. Scintigraphy is insensitive for the detection of early bone marrow metastases. The simultaneous use of bone scanning and x-ray, however, seems to be helpful in the detection of lymphomatous bone involvement and consequently in the clinical management of patients with malignant lymphoma.