Radionuclide demonstration of relative increased blood flow in uniappendicular secondary hypertrophic osteoarthropathy.

A rare case of hypertrophic osteoarthropathy (HO) limited to one lower extremity is described in a male with a history of familial polyposis coli and bilateral aortofemoral grafts. The precise etiology remains unknown. Radiography depicted the HO, but 99m Tc-methylene diphosphonate imaging showed more extensive involvement. An intra-aortic injection of 99m Tc-macroaggregates of albumin portrayed a larger blood flow to the involved limb compared to the contralateral extremity. The major part of this increase was in bone rather than in the adjacent soft tissue.