Case Report

Osteosarcoma of the Maxilla: Mimicking Dental Pathology on Bone Scan

10.5455/gulhane.17233

  • A.Özgür Karaçalıoğlu
  • Ayper Yıldırım
  • Özdeş Emer
  • M. Ali Özgüven

Received Date: 12.03.2012 Accepted Date: 08.06.2012 Gulhane Med J 2013;55(4):318-320

A 21-year-old male with mild pain and swelling on his right cheek was referred to our department for the Tc-99m MDP bone scintigraphy. A focal, prominent activity uptake in the right maxillar region mimicking dental pathology at first sight was noticed on his bone scan. A mass originating from the right maxillary bone, invading surrounding soft tissue and showing calcifications that were characteristic radiological features of osteosarcoma was detected on his Computed Tomography scan. Osteosarcoma was diagnosed after histopathologic examination of the biopsy specimen. This case was presented to demonstrate unusual localization of a primary bone tumor mimicking dental pathology and causing diagnostic conflict on the bone scan.

Keywords: Osteosarcoma, bone scan, Tc-99m MDP