# Musculoskeletal Pitfalls on Molecular Imaging Studies of Oncologic Patients: How to Stay Out of Trouble

## TL;DR

This paper reviews common benign musculoskeletal findings in cancer patients' molecular imaging to avoid misdiagnosis and unnecessary procedures.

## Contribution

The paper provides pictorial examples and diagnostic features to distinguish benign from malignant musculoskeletal findings in oncologic imaging.

## Key findings

- Benign musculoskeletal pathologies can mimic malignancies on molecular imaging.
- Specific imaging features help differentiate benign from malignant processes.
- Avoiding unnecessary invasive procedures is achievable with proper imaging interpretation.

## Abstract

An increasing amount of molecular imaging studies are ordered each year for an oncologic population that continues to expand and increase in age. The importance of these studies in dictating further care for oncologic patients underscores the necessity of differentiating benign from malignant findings, particularly for a population in whom incidental findings are common. The aim of this review is to provide pictorial examples of benign musculoskeletal pathologies which may be found on molecular imaging and which may be mistaken for malignant processes. Imaging examples are provided in the form of radiographs, bone scintigraphy, computed tomography, and fluorine-18 fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (FDG PET/CT) scans. Special attention is paid to specific features that help narrow the differential diagnosis and distinguish benign from malignant processes, with the goal of avoiding unnecessary invasive procedures.