SPECT/CT imaging in bone scintigraphy of a case of clavicular osteoma

Abstract

Osteoma is a benign bone-forming tumor that usually arises in the craniofacial bones and rarely in the long bones. Clavicular involvement is extremely rare. We report a 51-year-old woman with osteoma of the left clavicle. Radiograph of the left shoulder showed a well-defined lobulated blastic mass in the proximal and mid-portion of the left clavicle. Bone scintigraphy was performed 4 hours after an intravenous injection of Tc-99m hydroxymethylene <br/>diphosphonate (HMDP). Whole-body image showed a focus of intensely increased uptake in the clavicle. Single photon emission computed tomography/ computed tomography (SPECT/CT) images were also acquired and clearly showed intense uptake at the tumor site. Integrated SPECT/CT imaging supplies both functional and anatomic information about bone: the SPECT imaging improves sensitivity compared with planar imaging, the CT imaging provides precise localization of the abnormal uptake, and information on the shape and structure of the abnormalities improves the specificity of the diagnosis.