What does bone metastases look like?

What does bone metastases look like?

If a pathologist looked at these cells under a microscope, they would look like lung cancer cells. It is important to understand the difference between primary bone tumors and bone metastases because they are treated differently. Bone mets, sometimes called lesions, can occur happen in any bone in the body.

Can you see Bone Mets on xray?

Metastases measuring up to 1 cm in the spongiosa of a vertebral body or in the marrow of a long bone can be missed on plain x-ray; on the other hand, pathological changes in cortical bone are detectable by plain x-ray even if they are only a few millimeters wide (5, 7).

How do you know if you have bone mets?

The telltale symptom of bone mets is bone pain. The cancer can also weaken bones and lead to an increased risk of fractures or bone breaks. It’s always best to catch bone metastases early. Be sure to talk with your cancer care team if you experience bone pain or notice any other changes to your health.

Can you see Bone Mets on a CT scan?

18F-Sodium fluoride (18F-NaF) PET/CT bone scanning allows high-resolution functional imaging of bone metastases with significantly greater sensitivity (100%) and specificity (97%) than conventional planar bone scintigraphy.

What is a common site for bone metastases to occur?

The spine is the most common site for bone metastases. Other common sites are the hip bone (pelvis), upper leg bone (femur), upper arm bone (humerus), ribs, and the skull. Normally, bone is maintained by 2 kinds of bone cells.

Are bone Mets painful?

Pain is the most common symptom of bone metastasis. It’s often the first symptom you notice. At first, the pain may come and go. It’s usually worse at night or with rest.

Where does bone Mets start?

Bone metastasis can occur in any bone but more commonly occurs in the spine, pelvis and thigh. Bone metastasis may be the first sign that you have cancer, or bone metastasis may occur years after cancer treatment.

Can bone mets be misdiagnosed?

Patients can present with diffuse bone pain or pathologic fractures leading to imaging studies that reveal both osteolytic and osteosclerotic lesions. Widespread metastatic disease may be initially misdiagnosed, such as in our patient, leading to medical errors.

Does bone Mets show up in blood work?

Bone metastasis can cause many substances to be released into the blood. Blood tests can be done to see if there are higher amounts than normal. Two such substances are calcium and an enzyme called alkaline phosphatase. Blood tests for these substances can help diagnose bone metastasis.

What can mimic bone metastasis?

We present two cases of mimics of bone metastasis: systemic mastocytosis and osteopoikilosis. These cases demonstrate clinical and radiological characteristics that would make a diagnosis of bone metastasis less likely, and highlight the need for an awareness of mimics of bone metastasis.