Hematogenous pyogenic vertebral osteomyelitis: diagnostic value of radionuclide bone imaging

Journal Article · Sat Nov 01 04:00:00 EST 1986 · J. Nucl. Med.; (United States)

OSTI ID:7134519

Adatepe, M H; Powell, O M; Isaacs, G H; Nichols, K; Cefola, R

Hematogenous pyogenic vertebral osteomyelitis (HPVO) continues to be a diagnostic problem for clinicians due to nonspecific presentation of the disease (1,2). We reviewed our experience of the last 10 years to determine the diagnostic usefulness of radionuclide bone studies in this disease. We found 15 patients whose primary diagnosis was HPVO. Of the 15 patients, 12 had (99mTc)MDP bone scans which were all positive. Five of the 12 patients had positive (/sup 67/Ga)citrate scans and one patient with chronic active HPVO had negative /sup 67/Ga and (/sup 111/In)WBC bone images. At the same time, three patients' spine x-rays and one patient's CT scan of the vertebra were normal. Additionally, in three patients spine x-rays were interpreted as consistent with degenerative joint disease that contributed to the delay of the diagnosis. We conclude that when HPVO is suspected an abnormal (99mTc)MDP bone image increases the probability of the disease, even if the x-rays and CT scans of the spine are normal. An abnormal /sup 67/Ga image following an abnormal 99mTc bone image increases the specificity of the diagnosis. Normal (99mTc)MDP and (/sup 67/Ga)citrate bone images of the vertebra virtually exclude the diagnosis of HPVO.

• Research Organization: Allegheny General Hospital, Pittsburgh, PA
• OSTI ID: 7134519
• Journal Information: J. Nucl. Med.; (United States), Journal Name: J. Nucl. Med.; (United States) Vol. 11; ISSN JNMEA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

550601* -- Medicine-- Unsealed Radionuclides in Diagnostics
550602 -- Medicine-- External Radiation in Diagnostics-- (1980-)
62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BIOMEDICAL RADIOGRAPHY
BODY
COMPUTERIZED TOMOGRAPHY
COUNTING TECHNIQUES
DAYS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
DIAGNOSIS
DIAGNOSTIC TECHNIQUES
DISEASES
ELECTRON CAPTURE RADIOISOTOPES
GALLIUM 67
GALLIUM ISOTOPES
HOURS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
INDIUM 111
INDIUM ISOTOPES
INTERMEDIATE MASS NUCLEI
ISOMERIC TRANSITION ISOTOPES
ISOTOPES
MEDICINE
MINUTES LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
NUCLEAR MEDICINE
NUCLEI
ODD-EVEN NUCLEI
ORGANS
OSTEOMYELITIS
PATIENTS
RADIOISOTOPE SCANNING
RADIOISOTOPES
RADIOLOGY
SCINTISCANNING
SKELETAL DISEASES
SKELETON
TECHNETIUM 99
TECHNETIUM ISOTOPES
TOMOGRAPHY
VERTEBRAE
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES