Nuclear medicine: bone scan: practice question

A Radiology question in the style of the NEET PG paper. Answer it first, then read why the right option is right and why each of the others is wrong.

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Radiology · Nuclear medicine: bone scan

Sample item

Which property makes a technetium bone scan useful for detecting skeletal metastases?

AIt measures bone mineral density onlyBIt detects areas of increased osteoblastic activityCIt visualizes dental pulpDIt directly images cortical fracture lines at high resolution

Original practice item, not a recalled exam question. Nothing here is recorded.

The answer and the reasoning

B. It detects areas of increased osteoblastic activity

Bone scintigraphy detects altered bone turnover, particularly osteoblastic activity, and can survey the skeleton for multifocal disease. Some purely lytic lesions may be less conspicuous.

Option by option

A. It measures bone mineral density only
DEXA is used for bone mineral density measurement.
B. It detects areas of increased osteoblastic activity (correct)
Correct. Increased turnover from osteoblastic response causes tracer uptake.
C. It visualizes dental pulp
Dental pulp is assessed by dental imaging rather than a whole-body bone scan.
D. It directly images cortical fracture lines at high resolution
CT is better for fine cortical fracture detail.

Source note: Original NextPrep sample item — pending expert review. This item is original practice material awaiting independent expert review, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.

Questions about this Radiology question

What is the answer to this Radiology question?

The best answer is B, It detects areas of increased osteoblastic activity. Bone scintigraphy detects altered bone turnover, particularly osteoblastic activity, and can survey the skeleton for multifocal disease.

Why is "It measures bone mineral density only" not the answer?

DEXA is used for bone mineral density measurement.

Why is "It visualizes dental pulp" not the answer?

Dental pulp is assessed by dental imaging rather than a whole-body bone scan.

Why is "It directly images cortical fracture lines at high resolution" not the answer?

CT is better for fine cortical fracture detail.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Nuclear medicine: bone scan in Radiology. Some purely lytic lesions may be less conspicuous.

How hard is this question?

We tag it as an application question: it asks you to use a fact on a patient or a finding. The tag is our own editorial judgement, not an official difficulty rating, so read the reason for every option, not only the answer.

How should I study Nuclear medicine: bone scan?

Learn signs with the image, and the disease they point to. Then use the flashcards and the other Radiology questions on this site to test what stuck.

Is this a real NEET PG question?

No. It is an original practice item (editorial status: sample, version 1). NextPrep does not publish recalled or leaked questions, and independent faculty review of this item has not been completed yet, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.