Early diagnosis of disc-space infection using Gallium-67.
A 4-year-old boy had had progressive central lumbar pain and hamstring spasm. He had a normal lumbar-spine x-ray except for minimal L-5, S1 spondylolysis, but gave an abnormal gallium-67 scan in the region of the low lumbar spine. Eight weeks following intensive antibiotic therapy, confirmation of the diagnosis of disc-space infection was established by roentgenographic studies that demonstrated narrowing of the L 4-5 intervertebral disc space. A technetium-99m diphosphonate bone scan, performed concurrently with the gallium-67 study, was normal.
D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005710:Gallium Radioisotopes; D006801:Humans; D007403:Intervertebral Disc / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D008297:Male; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D013122:Spinal Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*
D005710:Gallium Radioisotopes