Concurrent bisphosphonate-related bilateral atypical subtrochanteric fractures and osteonecrosis of the jaw on bone scintigraphy

Clin Nucl Med. 2015 May;40(5):450-2. doi: 10.1097/RLU.0000000000000746.

Abstract

An 82-year-old woman presented with bilateral thigh pain. She had pain in her right thigh operated for a low-trauma fracture 2 years earlier and newly developed pain in her left thigh without trauma. A whole-body bone scan revealed increased tracer uptake in her bilateral subtrochanteric femoral shafts and in the right mandible without evidence of metastatic bone disease. She had been taking bisphosphonates for 7 years to treat osteoporosis and was soon diagnosed with atypical subtrochanteric fractures and bisphosphonate-related osteonecrosis of the jaw. The bone scan simultaneously identified 2 serious adverse effects of long-term use of bisphosphonates.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Bone Density Conservation Agents / adverse effects*
  • Diphosphonates / adverse effects*
  • Female
  • Hip Fractures / diagnostic imaging*
  • Hip Fractures / etiology
  • Humans
  • Jaw / diagnostic imaging
  • Jaw / pathology
  • Osteonecrosis / diagnostic imaging*
  • Osteonecrosis / etiology
  • Radionuclide Imaging

Substances

  • Bone Density Conservation Agents
  • Diphosphonates