Absent right iliac bone on Tc99m MDP bone scan in a patient with Gorham′s vanishing bone disease

Abstract

Gorham's (vanishing bone) disease is an extremely rare condition of the bone. The diagnosis is usually made on the basis of the characteristic history of osteolysis and failure of bone healing in conjunction with the histological findings of marrow fibrosis and increased vascularity. When the disease is established, an X-ray and magnetic resonance imaging show complete loss of affected bone. There are very few reports found in literature on bone scan appearance of the disease. A bone scan of a 24-year-old female patient with known Gorham's disease revealed absence of tracer uptake in the right iliac bone, right sacroiliac joint, and part of the right ischial pubic rami, which matched the radiographic abnormalities. Consequently this disease should be added to the gamut of cold defects seen on bone scan.