Unsuspected Pregnancy During Bone Scintigraphy

Abstract

Despite careful screening efforts to avoid it, nuclear medicine studies are unintentionally performed on pregnant patients (1–4). Three-phase bone scanning is a common procedure performed in women of child-bearing age. Unsuspected pregnancies have been discovered on the flow and early views of the pelvis (1–4). We present a case of a pregnant girl, aged 15, who had a bone scan. We explain how this occurred and how we plan to prevent a recurrence. Dosimetry for the fetus (3,7) also is considered.