-Original-

Challenges in the Diagnosis of bone Metastasis in Patients without a History of Malignancy at Their First Clinic Visit

Yasuyuki Kitagawa¹, Toshihiko Ito¹, Yoshihiro Mizuno¹, Yoshihiro Sudo¹, Yong Kim¹, Ryu Tsunoda¹, Masabumi Miyamoto² and Shinro Takai¹

¹Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Nippon Medical School, Tokyo, Japan
²Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Nippon Medical School Tama Nagayama Hospital, Tokyo, Japan

Background: Many patients with bone metastases whose diagnoses came only after they had suffered aggravated conditions are still frequently encountered. However, there have been few studies regarding the early diagnosis of such metastases. We retrospectively reviewed the clinical courses of cases we experienced between 2004 and 2014 to clarify the practical situation of diagnosis of such bone metastases.
Methods: We undertook a retrospective review of 56 of our patients with bone metastasis who had no history of malignancy at their first visit, who visited our departments between 2004 and 2014. The initial diagnoses at the first visit to any clinic, the period from the first visit to any clinic to diagnosis of bone metastasis, the process to make the diagnosis, the frequency of severe skeletal-related events at diagnosis, and the examination serving as the basis for diagnosis were evaluated.
Results: The diagnosis of bone metastasis was made at the first visit in only 6 of the 56 patients. Pathological fractures, paralysis and/or calcemia were seen in 62.5% of the patients at diagnosis of bone metastasis. The median period from the first visit to any clinic to diagnosis was 7.0 weeks. Typically, the diagnosis of bone metastasis was made only after aggravation. The most frequent examination to serve as the basis of diagnosis was magnetic resonance imaging.
Conclusions: Diagnosis of bone metastasis is challenging in patients without a history of malignancy at their first visit. For early diagnosis, it is important to recognize this challenge and to keep it in mind together with ongoing observation.

J Nippon Med Sch 2018; 85: 271-278

Keywords
diagnosis, challenge, bone metastasis, clinic, MRI

Correspondence to
Yasuyuki Kitagawa, MD, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Nippon Medical School, 1-1-5 Sendagi, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8603, Japan
kitayasu@nms.ac.jp

Received, March 3, 2018
Accepted, May 27, 2018