Currently available laboratory and imaging tests have limitations diagnosing and following patients with spinal
infections. We evaluated 17 Technetium-99m labeled
ciprofloxacin scintigraphy studies in 11 patients who had the diagnosis of a spinal
infection based on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention criteria. Three of the 17 studies were performed in three patients within 2 months from the onset of the symptoms. All of these three studies showed increased uptake of the
radiopharmaceutical in the area of the spinal
infection. Fourteen studies were performed during the followup period (from 210 to 690 days after the onset of symptoms) in nine patients with spinal
infections. Ten of the 14 studies performed in five patients with an active spine
infection showed positive results while the patients had evidence for active spinal
infection at the time of the testing. Four studies were performed during the followup period in four patients who at the time of the nuclear imaging testing had no symptoms, signs, or laboratory or other imaging evidence for active
infection. All four studies showed negative results. The results of this preliminary study show that scintigraphy with
99mTc-ciprofloxacin may be useful in the diagnosis of active spinal
infections.
LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Diagnostic study, level II-1 (Testing of previously developed diagnostic criteria on consecutive patients [with universally applied reference "gold" standard]). Please see Guidelines for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.