WB Skeletal Imaging - motion artifact

Whole body bone scan obtained 2 hours following the intravenous injection of Tc99m MDP.

Older cameras used to perform whole body images by scanning at the right side of the body head-to-toe, moving the table and scanning the left side of the body toe-to-head. This often produced a zipper line done the middle of the body where the images were joined. If the patient moved or the camera and table were not properly aligned the images could result in separation of the images or mis-registration.

Newer systems have the ability for single-pass imaging, which eliminates the zipper and mis-registration problems. The single-pass technique although does not always allow for inclusion of the patients arms in the field of view.

On this particular image the patient noticeably moved their head from right to left resulting in the alien feature of a twin lobed cranium.

The practice of this institution was to perform a whole body posterior image with spot shots of the anterior skull chest, abdomen, and pelvis. 

Although this is older technology, newer camera do not require a double pass for the whole body image, I have always enjoyed the "alien" presence in this image..