title: 68Ga-citrate PET/CT for evaluating patients with infections of the bone: preliminary results.
abstract: The aim of this work was to preliminarily evaluate the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, and overall accuracy of (68)Ga-citrate PET/CT in a population of patients with suspected bone infections.
  
  
  METHODS
  We enrolled 31 patients with suspected osteomyelitis or diskitis who underwent a total of forty (68)Ga-citrate PET/CT scans. The results were compared with different combinations of diagnostic procedures (MRI, radiography, CT, or white blood cell scintigraphy), biopsy (when diagnostic), and follow-up data (at least 1 y) to determine the performance of (68)Ga-citrate PET/CT.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We found a sensitivity of 100%, a specificity of 76%, a positive predictive value of 85%, a negative predictive value of 100%, and an overall accuracy of 90%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although preliminary, these data confirm a possible role for (68)Ga-citrate in the diagnosis of bone infections, especially in consideration of its favorable characteristics.
authors.affiliation: Medicina Nucleare, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Bologna, Policlinico S Orsola-Malpighi, Bologna, Italy. cristina.nanni@aosp.bo.it
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Nanni
authors.forename: Costantino
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Errani
authors.forename: Luca
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Boriani
authors.forename: Lorenzo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Fantini
authors.forename: Valentina
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Ambrosini
authors.forename: Stefano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Boschi
authors.forename: Domenico
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Rubello
authors.forename: Cinzia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pettinato
authors.forename: Mario
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mercuri
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gasbarrini
authors.forename: Stefano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fanti
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001706:Biopsy; D001850:Bone Diseases, Infectious / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000601:surgery; D019343:Citric Acid / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D015299:Discitis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D005710:Gallium Radioisotopes; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010019:Osteomyelitis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000601:surgery; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography / Q000379:methods*; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D014018:Tissue Distribution; D014055:Tomography, Emission-Computed / Q000379:methods*; D014915:Whole-Body Counting; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D005710:Gallium Radioisotopes; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D019343:Citric Acid