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A scintigraphic pattern is described for bone scans with 99m-Tc-polyphosphate and 99m-Tc-diphosphonate in which abnormal tracer accumulation extends beyond the known limits of certain skeletal lesions. The associated pathologic entities include benign and malignant tumors, infection, and trauma. The pathogenesis of "extended patterns" has not been proved but probably relates to regional hyperemia induced by associated lesions. Increased blood flow results in more tracer delivery to otherwise normal bone in the "watershed" areas of hyperemia, producing these patterns.

The sensitivity and specificity of 99mTc-sulfur colloid liver-spleen imaging in diffuse hepatocellular disease and the significance of image patterns found in these diseases are presented. By visually quantifying the image alterations found in biopsy-proven cases of diffuse hepatocellular disease and analyzing the correlation between the histological diagnosis and the quantified image alteration (individually and by groups), the 99mTc-sulfur colloid liver-spleen image was found to be highly sensitive (83%). Relative discriminatory values were derived for each image finding and a specific image pattern was found in cirrhosis.

A thyroid nodule, "hot" by 99mTc and "cold" by 131I scanning, was reimaged with a fluorescent scanner. The fluorescent scan was qualitatively similar to the 131I scan and demonstrated low iodine content in the nodule. This combination of scan patterns is compatible with an organification defect in the nodular tissue.