MRI features of mandibular osteomyelitis: practical criteria based on an association with conventional radiography features and clinical classification.
OBJECTIVE
The aims of this study were (1) to assess the diagnostic power of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for mandibular osteomyelitis through comparison with conventional techniques and (2) to establish practical MRI diagnostic criteria in relation to treatment and clinical outcome.


METHODS
In 55 subjects, clinically suspected as mandibular osteomyelitis, signal intensities (SI) were evaluated on T1-weighted/short T1 inversion recovery (STIR) images.


RESULTS
Forty-seven subjects were definitively diagnosed as having osteomyelitis by pathology studies or clinical course. For the acute or subacute stage, positively associated appearances were low SI on T1-weighted image and extensive high or focal high SI on the STIR image. For chronic stage, appearances of low SI on both T1-weighted and STIR images should be added to those for the acute or subacute stage. These findings support the at-present accepted imaging diagnostic criteria based on bony changes for detection of osteomyelitis.


CONCLUSIONS
This study confirms that T1-weighted/STIR images are useful for the detection of mandibular osteomyelitis.
Ariji
Yoshiko
Y
Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology, Aichi-Gakuin University School of Dentistry, Nagoya, Japan. yoshiko@dpc.agu.ac.jp
Izumi
Masahiro
M
Gotoh
Masakazu
M
Naitoh
Munetaka
M
Katoh
Mugio
M
Kuroiwa
Yuichiro
Y
Obayashi
Naofumi
N
Kurita
Kenichi
K
Shimozato
Kazuo
K
Ariji
Eiichiro
E
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001853:Bone Marrow / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D002648:Child; D005157:Facial Pain / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery; D005158:Facial Paralysis / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008047:Lip Diseases; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008336:Mandibular Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery; D008875:Middle Aged; D010019:Osteomyelitis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery; D010243:Paralysis / Q000209:etiology; D011859:Radiography; D012008:Recurrence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014098:Toothache / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology