LOW-FIELD MR-IMAGING FOR THE ASSESSMENT OF THERAPY RESPONSE IN MUSCULOSKELETAL INFECTIONS

Fifty-one patients with musculoskeletal infection were imaged by repea ted MR imaging at ultra low-field and low-field strength. Soft-tissue infection, osteomyelitis, septic arthritis, and spondylitis were studi ed. The MR finding was scored according to the signal intensity (SI) o n T2-weighted images (T2WI), and correlated with the values of serum C -reactive protein (CRP), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), and per ipheral white blood cell (WBC) count. There was a positive correlation between the MR score and both CRP and ESR, but no correlation between MR score and WBC. The MR score between the follow-up studies decrease d significantly in accordance with clinical reconstitution. The MR fin ding according to the SI on T2WIs corresponded better to disease activ ity than did the CRP or ESR.