Myocardial Tc-99m MDP uptake on the bone scintigraphy in the hemodialysis-associated amyliodosis (an incidental finding)

ABSTRACT

Amyliodosis is characterized by an abnormal extracellular deposition of amyloid in different organs, where it usually causes some type of dysfunction. From the five different types of amyloidosis, we report a case of hemodialysis-associated amyliodosis in a 56-year-old man with an incidental finding of diffuse myocardial and kidney uptake in a bone scan performed for assessing osteomyelitis , which raised the possibility of amyloidosis in this patient. The diagnosis of amyliodosis was later established by analysis of aspirated abdominal fat. We conclude that incidental findings in nuclear medicine should be valued. As in this case extraosseus accumulation of Tc-99m MDP, especially with a pattern of diffuse myocardial uptake, warrants further evaluation for a possible amyloidosis disease.