Nuclear medicine imaging in early vertebral osteomyelitis: still of clinical utility.
A case is presented of vertebral osteomyelitis in an elderly confused patient with poorly localizing signs. The lesion was not diagnosed on the initial MRI study of the spine due to poor targeting. The abnormality was detected on a bone scan the following day. This was confirmed with a gallium scan 3 days later, and also a repeat MRI study 11 days after the first MRI, using an optimized protocol over the region of interest established by the bone scan.
McEwan
L
L
Nuclear Medicine Department, Royal Brisbane Hospital, Herston, Queensland, Australia. louisez@bigpond.com.au
Wong
J C
JC
D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D010019:Osteomyelitis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D013122:Spinal Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D015899:Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon