Bone scintigraphy in tuberculous spondylodiscitis.
Tuberculous affection of the spine can present in different ways. Plain radiographs may fail to show any abnormality. Bone scintigraphy can be a very useful tool in the diagnosis and management of patients with tuberculous spondylodiscitis. This is a retrospective study of 40 patients in whom bone scan was performed using 99mTc-MDP (technetium methylene diphosphonate) before starting anti-tuberculous therapy or any surgical intervention. Four different types of uptake were noted. The uptake was abnormal in 38 out of 40 patients, giving a sensitivity of 95%. Multicentricity was picked up in 25% of cases. No skull lesion was noticed in any of these patients. Rib lesions were found in six patients (ten ribs affected). The rib lesion was always a typical band pattern. This paper outlines the advantages as well as limitations of bone scan in tuberculous affection of the spine.
Queen Alexandra Hospital, Cosham, Portsmouth, UK.
H G
HG
Pandit
P D
PD
Sonsale
S S
SS
Shikare
S Y
SY
Bhojraj
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001842:Bone and Bones / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D015299:Discitis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011859:Radiography; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013669:Technetium Tc 99m Medronate; D014399:Tuberculosis, Spinal / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology
D013669:Technetium Tc 99m Medronate