Incidental detection of bridging ribs on whole-body bone scan in a patient with prostate cancer: Case report of a rare congenital anomaly

Document Type : Case Report

Authors

Nuclear Medicine Research Center, Mashhad university of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran

Abstract

A 71-year-old man with prostate adenocarcinoma underwent [99mTc]Tc-MDP whole body and SPECT/CT scans for primary staging, which revealed unexpected vertical linear uptake in the intercostal spaces. Subsequent evaluation with [99mTc]Tc-PSMA scintigraphy revealed no uptake in these areas, and physical examination revealed no tenderness or cutaneous changes. Further investigation led to the diagnosis of bridging rib, a rare congenital anomaly occurring in less than 0.5% of the population, characterized by developmental fusion between two or more ribs. This case underscores the significance of considering rare anatomical variants in the interpretation of imaging studies, as it can affect the accuracy of diagnoses, and provides a review of the differential diagnoses that may be mistaken for one another when interpreting bone agent uptake in the ribs.

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References

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