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CT permits demonstration of thrombus in the iliac veins and inferior vena cava by injecting contrast material into vein in the dorsum of the foot. This technique, called CT cavography in this paper, has advantages over conventional venography or DSA and also over sonography. It is indicated following phlebographic demonstration of recent pelvic thrombosis and for demonstrating tumour thrombi in patients with carcinomas of the kidney.

The development of pseudo-arthroses is the most common complication following operative treatment of severe scoliosis. Early recognition of this event is important to prevent recurrence of the curvature. The diagnosis is not possible by radiological examination of the rigid spine. Routine reexploration implies a second operation, which is unnecessary in the majority of patients with stable fusion. In an attempt to develop a non-invasive method for the diagnosis of pseudo-arthroses, bone scintigrams were carried out in 29 patients with idiopathic scoliosis twelve months after a Harrington's spondylodesis. In 24 patients (82.8%) a definite conclusion could be drawn, either of stable fusion (65.5%) or pseudo-arthrosis formation (17.3%). No pseudo-arthroses were missed by scintigraphy. These results indicate that bone scintigraphy plays an important role in the post-operative care after Harrington's spondylodesis.

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A patient with a right-sided carcinoma of the breast had a bone scintigram with 99mTc-methylendiphosphonate (99mTc-MDP), which showed intensive uptake in the abnormal breast; a year after mastectomy, similar high uptake of the drug was found in the remaining breast. The radiological findings indicated a fibrocystic mastopathy without evidence of malignancy in the left breast. A review of the literature suggested that uptake of osteotropic polyphosphate compounds in the breast was of considerable significance, indicating incipient or developing malignancy. A review of our own cases cast considerable doubt on this interpretation. It is probable that MDP uptake in the breast depends in part on the hormonal pattern and may occasionally be observed during oestrogen therapy in the male (eg. carcinoma of the prostate).