Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging  2009;43(5):495-498

Brown Tumor Shown Flare Phenomenon On Bone Scan After Parathyroidectomy.

Kwang Ho SHIN 1 ; Seol Hoon PARK ; Sora BAEK ; Sun Young CHAE ; Jung Min KOH ; Jae Seung KIM ; Dae Hyuk MOON ; Jin Sook RYU

Affiliations

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Keywords

Brown tumor; bone scan; flare phenomenon; parathyroidectomy

Country

Republic of Korea

Language

Korean

Abstract

Brown tumor is the benign bone lesion consists of woven bone and fibrous tissue without matrix, which develop due to chronic excessive osteoclastic activity such as hyperparathyroidism. Usually they appear with normal uptake or occasionally focally increased uptake on bone scan. We present a case with brown tumor shown more increased uptake and more number of lesions on bone scan after parathyroidectomy, and lesser increased uptake on serial bone scans without any other treatment through several months. This finding is thought to be similar to 'flare phenomenon' which is occasionally seen after treatment of metastatic bone lesions of malignant cancer, and may represent curative process of brown tumor with rapid normal bone formation.