Understanding Bone Scan Abnormalities & Increased Uptake - What to Do Next

Question
I recently had a bone scan done for a "shoulder injury" and my doctor has only told me that there was an "incidental finding" of an abnormality in the 4th rib on the right side, as well as a "hypodense area". The Radiologist told me that I had a very large amount of "increased uptake" in the right breast. Any clue what these things mean? Should I have a mammogram?


Answer
Angie,

I don't deal with bone scans, but I think it means that you need to be evaluated further. If you don't hear anything from your doctor in a couple of days, give him a call and ask about your results. Ask as many questions as you need to ask in order to understand what the person on the phone is telling you. Also, if you have anything done in the future and someone tells you something you don't understand, ask them to explain things. I think that many times people in the medical field forget that patients don't usually understand what they are saying. Why would you know what increased uptake or hypodense areas are? You don't have any reason to know that. Be sure to ask next time when you aren't sure about something because you are paying doctors and other medical professionals to treat you and provide you with the information you need. It's part of their job, and sometimes you have to remind them of that by asking them to clarify things.

-Beth