Altered biodistribution of radiopharmaceuticals used in bone scintigraphy

Bone scintigraphy has remained a mainstay of clinical nuclear medicine for more than 4 decades. Extensive medical literature has developed surrounding the etiology and significance of alterations in distribution of bone radiopharmaceuticals. Altered biodistribution may be of a global nature, reflecting altered partition of radiopharmaceutical between bone and soft tissues, or more focal, reflecting regional abnormalities, including those related to bone or soft tissues. A third category of alterations in the distribution of bone radiopharmaceuticals is those due to errors and blunders, colloquially termed "artifactual" in the medical imaging literature. Being cognizant of these unexpected abnormalities, and understanding their etiology, will prepare the reader to more readily appreciate the significance of these findings when encountered in clinical practice.