Abstract
The bone scintigram and the X-ray findings of metastatic bone tumors of the spine (31 cases) were compared with those of other diseases of the spine which have to be differentiated from them; such as compression fracture (20 cases), spondylosis deformans (14 cases), pyogenic spondylitis (10 cases), tuberculous spondylitis (10 cases), and following results were obtained;
1. The characteristic pattern of the scintigram of the metastatic bone tumors of the spine is asymmetric abnormal concentration with multiple lesions and multilevel distribution.
2. Compression fracture of the spine showed symmetric concentration, and not continuously when the lesions are multiple.
3. Spondylosis deformans included some asymmetric cases, so diagnostication should be careful.
4. Pyogenic spondylitis and tuberculous spondylitis tend to concentrate symmetrically on adjoining two vertebral bodies.
