[Aims and limits of nuclear medicine methods in investigation of malignant and benign bone lesions (author's transl)].

In primary bone tumors the possibilities of bone scans are discussed. Exact differentiation between malignant and benign disease by this method is impossible. However, scanning provides important information about extent of the disease, metastases, multiplicity of benign lesions and influence of adjoining diseases to the bone. A special indication exists in cases of cerebral meningiomas and an absolute indication for searching osteoplastic metastases, e.g. in carcinomas of the breast and the prostate gland.