The role of imaging in primary bone oncology.

Abstract

Primary Malignant Bone Tumours are rare but seriously their mortality rate is high. Imaging has an integral role in the diagnosis, staging and evaluation of the outcome of this disease. Each of the different imaging modalities has a different role. Plain radiography is the initial method of evaluation, but no distinction can be made between a benign and a malignant tumour so other imaging modalities are employed to make this distinction. The different modalities discussed in the Literature review are plain radiography, Computed Tomography, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Radio Nuclide Imaging and Angiography. The value of imaging modalities in biopsy and post treatment evaluation was also discussed. Plain radiography proved to be the initial stage in the diagnoses, Magnetic Resonance Imaging And Computed Tomography proved to be very important due to their high contrast resolution. Radio Nuclide Imaging proved to be more important in the post treatment for evaluating any recurrences.