title: Use of technetium(99m)-ciprofloxacin scan in Pott's spine to assess the disease activity.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The World Health Organisation has declared tuberculosis (TB) a global emergency and spinal tuberculosis is one of the most common forms. There is still controversy regarding optimum duration of treatment in osteoarticular tuberculosis due to the lack of well-defined criteria for the end point of treatment. Emergence of multi drug resistant tuberculosis, primarily due to use of poor drug regimens, further illustrates the need of newer and more effective diagnostic methods, particularly in developing countries.
  
  
  METHODS
  This prospective clinical study to evaluate the role of technetium ((99m)Tc)-ciprofloxacin scan as a tool to assess disease activity involved in 15 cases of TB spine with a mean age of 32.2 years (range 21-72). Following a clinico-radiological diagnosis, all patients were treated with standard anti tubercular treatment and a scan was done at zero, three and six months of treatment with tracer activity being recorded and compared in sequential scans along with a parallel evaluation of clinical and radiological profile at regular intervals.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Out of 15 cases, nine had an initially positive bone scan. Two patients (22%) converted to negative scans at three months, whereas the remaining seven (78%) turned negative at six months. The end of six months treatment was also accompanied by clinico-radiological resolution in all cases.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In conclusion, technetium ((99m)Tc)-ciprofloxacin scan could be a promising tool for monitoring disease activity in selected cases of tuberculosis spine as an alternative for therapeutic drug monitoring; however, due to the small sample size, studies with a large number of patients might be of help in defining these cases in a better way.
authors: Department of Orthopaedics, University College of Medical Sciences Delhi, New Delhi, India. mayankleo25@gmail.com
authors: Mayank
authors: M
authors: Agrawal
authors: Vikas
authors: V
authors: Bhardwaj
authors: Wangchuk
authors: W
authors: Tsering
authors: Sumit
authors: S
authors: Sural
authors: Ravi
authors: R
authors: Kashyap
authors: Anil
authors: A
authors: Dhal
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002939:Ciprofloxacin / Q000031:analogs & derivatives*; D015897:Comorbidity; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015609:Organotechnetium Compounds; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D013859:Thiocarbamates; D014399:Tuberculosis, Spinal / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: C532389:99mTc-CPFXDTC; D015609:Organotechnetium Compounds; D013859:Thiocarbamates; D002939:Ciprofloxacin