Distribution pattern of metastatic bone disease. A need for total body skeletal image
G. T. Krishnamurthy, M. Tubis, J. Hiss and W. H. Blahd
Distribution patterns of metastatic bone disease in 62 patients with
soft-tissue cancers showed that 60% of bone lesions were located in the
axial and 40% in the appendicular skeleton. Thirteen percent of the lesions
were in appendicular regions not usually included in routine imaging
studies. The majority of the metastatic skeletal lesions were clinically
asymptomatic. The serum alkaline phosphatase level is a poor indicator of
early bone metastases.
