Malignant Bone Tumors: Pathogenesis of X-ray appearance



 • Metastatic bone tumors (aka. cancerous cells from systemic locations that metastasized to the bone) are 200 times more common than primary bone tumors.

 • Metastatic bone tumors can often look differently from primary bone tumors on X-ray, depending on the source of metastasis:

 • Breast. prostate cancer bone metastases are often "radio-dense" (sclerotic lesions that look whiter than normal bone) - these cancer cells activate osteoblasts more than osteoclasts.

 • Lung. thvroid. and renal cancer bone metastases are often "radio-lucent" (osteolytic lesions that look darker than normal bone) - these cancer cells activate largely osteoclasts.



Signs/Symptoms:

 • "Interrupted periosteal reaction '

 • "Moth-eaten", permeative bone destruction

 • Wide zone of transition between bone and tumor (Ill-defined border)

 • Soft-tissue mass accumulation around the bone tumor



#BoneTumors #Malignant #Radiology #Diagnosis #XRay #Bony