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Education, Research & Development

Bone Case 9 Answers

1) Are there any abnormal areas of uptake?

There are eight areas of high uptake in the lateral ribs, four on each side in a linear pattern across the ribs

2) Do you think there are metastases?

No, the appearances are classic for insufficiency fractures of the ribs. The patient admitted that their chest had hurt following falls at home. The patient has markedly demineralized bones on plain films and normal serum calcium levels, consistent with osteoporosis.

3) Name other parts of the body that may be affected by this process

Classic areas include the fractures of the vertebral bodies and sacrum although minimal trauma can result in fractures to other areas such as distal radius and femoral neck

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The text is entirely the opinion of the author and does not necessarily reflect that of RUH NHS Trust or the Bristol Radiology Training Scheme. Website content devised by Paul McCoubrie.