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Title: Osteomyelitis complicating fracture: pitfalls of /sup 111/In leukocyte scintigraphy

Journal Article · · AJR, Am. J. Roentgenol.; (United States)

/sup 111/In-labeled leukocyte imaging has shown greater accuracy and specificity than alternative noninvasive methods in the detection of uncomplicated osteomyelitis. Forty patients with suspected osteomyelitis complicating fractures (with and without surgical intervention) were evaluated with /sup 111/In-labeled leukocytes. All five patients with intense focal uptake, but only one of 13 with no uptake, had active osteomyelitis. However, mild to moderate /sup 111/In leukocyte uptake, observed in 22 cases, indicated the presence of osteomyelitis in only four of these; the other false-positive results were observed in noninfected callus formation, heterotopic bone formation, myositis ossificans, and sickle-cell disease. These results suggest that /sup 111/In-labeled leukocyte imaging is useful for the evaluation of suspected osteomyelitis complicating fracture but must be used in conjunction with clinical and radiographic correlation to avoid false-positive results.

Research Organization:
Univ. of Texas Medical School, Houston
OSTI ID:
6354724
Journal Information:
AJR, Am. J. Roentgenol.; (United States), Vol. 5
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English