Radiology, Vol 181, 415-418, Copyright © 1991 by Radiological Society of North America
Skeletal brucellosis: assessment with bone scintigraphy
M el-Desouki
Department of Medicine, King Khalid University Hospital, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
To assess the usefulness of bone scintigraphy in the detection of bone and
joint abnormalities in brucellosis and show the pattern and frequency of
such abnormalities at scintigraphy, bone scans in 214 patients with
brucellosis and musculoskeletal symptoms were retrospectively analyzed.
Bone scans were abnormal at a total of 319 sites in 196 patients (91.6%);
102 patients (47.7%) had multiple skeletal abnormalities. Plain radiographs
were abnormal in 52 of 214 patients (24.3%). The sacroiliac joints were the
most commonly affected site (142 patients [72.4%]); bilateral involvement
of these joints occurred in 92 patients (46.9%). The sternoclavicular
joints were affected in 32 patients (16.3%); costovertebral junctions,
eight patients (4.1%); and symphysis pubis, three patients (1.5%). It is
concluded that scintigraphy is sensitive in detection of skeletal
brucellosis and should be performed when screening patients with
brucellosis and musculoskeletal symptoms.
