title: Bone scintigraphy and costochondritis.
abstract: Four patients with infectious costochondritis were studied with computed tomography (CT) and bone scintigraphy. In all four patients the bone scan detected and accurately localized the sites of involvement. CT did not image bilateral involvement in one patient. Three of the four patients were intravenous drug abusers; in two of these patients, a species of Aspergillus was the offending organism. Therefore, in patients with signs and symptoms of chest wall inflammation, scintigraphy is the most direct route to the diagnosis of costochondritis. This entity is apparently occurring more frequently because of the prevalence of intravenous drug abuse. Bone scintigraphy delineates both the extent of individual costochondral lesions and their multiplicity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, University of Tennessee Medical Center, Memphis.
authors.forename: J D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Massie
authors.forename: J I
authors.initials: JI
authors.lastname: Sebes
authors.forename: S J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Cowles
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001228:Aspergillosis / Q000175:diagnosis; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011008:Pneumococcal Infections / Q000175:diagnosis; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000175:diagnosis; D013212:Staphylococcus epidermidis; D013249:Sternum / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000382:microbiology; D013669:Technetium Tc 99m Medronate; D013896:Thoracic Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000382:microbiology; D013991:Tietze's Syndrome / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000382:microbiology
chemical_list: D013669:Technetium Tc 99m Medronate