TECNETIUM-99M-NANOCOLLOID SCINTIGRAPHY IN ORTHOPEDIC INFECTIONS - A COMPARISON WITH INDIUM-111-LABELED LEUKOCYTES

Twenty-three patients with clinically suspected acute or chronic osteo myelitis and 21 patients with suspected joint prosthetic infection und erwent scintigraphy using both Tc-99m-nanocolloid and In-111-labeled l eukocytes. The scintigrams of the two tracers were blindly interpreted by three independent observers. Their evaluations showed high corresp ondence. Patients were classified as having no infection, probable inf ection or proven infection according to specific criteria which includ ed results of bacteriological cultures and histopathological examinati ons. For proven and probable infection taken together, the sensitivity with Tc-99m-nanocolloid was 94%, the specificity 84% and the accuracy 87%, compared with 75%, 90% and 85% with In-111-labeled leukocytes. W e conclude that Tc-99m-nanocolloid scintigraphy is at least equivalent with In-111-leucocyte scintigraphy, and its additional advantages are shorter examination time, less complexity and better radiation dosime try.