Unexpected Artifact on ^99mTc-Methylene Diphosphonate Bone Scintigraphy

Abstract

Asymmetric hot spots in the axial skeleton on bone scintigraphy may confound diagnosis. We describe an unexpected artifact of ^99mTc-methylene diphosphonate near the breast in a 55-y-old woman with breast cancer. The initial whole-body bone scintigraphy revealed a solitary focal lesion in the anterior ribs on the left side. After careful tracking, we determined that this hot spot originated from the adhesive bandage. The patient had placed it in her left front pocket after removing it from the injection site. She was rescanned after the bandage had been removed from her pocket.