[Possibilities of a software-based hybrid single photon emission computed tomography/magnetic resonance imaging in the diagnosis of complicated diabetic foot syndrome].

OBJECTIVE: To give the results of a software-based hybrid single photon emission computed tomography/magnetic resonance imaging (SPECT/MRI) in detecting osteomyelitis (OM) in patients with diabetic foot syndrome (DFS). MATERIAL AND METHODS: Seventy-six patients (35 men and 41 women) (mean age, 59.4 +/- 7.1 years) with type 1 and 2 diabetes mellitus and suspected OM were examined. The investigation enrolled patients with neuropathic (n = 25), ischemic (n = 13), and mixed (n = 38) DFS. All the patients underwent (99m)Tc-HMPAO/ (99m)Tc-technefit labeled leukocyte scintigraphy; magnetic resonance imaging was performed in 30 patients. The results were combined using RView 9.06 software (Colin Studholme). RESULTS: Labeled leukocyte SPECT to Diagnose OM yielded 255 true positive (TP), 38 true negative (TN), 12 false negative (FP), and 1 false negative (FN) results. The accuracy of the technique was 82.9%. The FP results were due to the low resolution of the technique and to the small sizes of the object under study. One FN result was detected in a patient with ischemic DFS because of reduced blood flow. MRI to identify OM in patients with DFS provided 20 TP, 16 TN, 4 FP, and 2 FN results. Its diagnostic accuracy was 85.7%. The relative low specificity of MRI was associated with the presence of FP results due to the complexity of differential diagnosis of bone marrow edema and inflammatory infiltration. Assessing 42 hybrid SPECT/MR-images revealed 21 TP, 17 TN, 3 FP, and I FN results. The diagnostic accuracy was equal to 95.9%. CONCLUSION: Thus, comparing MRI (90.9% sensitivity and 80.0% specificity), labeled leukocyte scintigraphy (96.2% sensitivity and 76.0% specificity), and hybrid SPECT/MRI (95.5% sensitivity and 85.0% specificity) showed the high diagnostic efficiency of the latter.

[Different types of 199Tl chloride scintigraphic visualization of malignant tumors of the locomotor apparatus].

BACKGROUND: 201Tl chloride scintigraphy allows malignant tumors of the locomotor apparatus to be diagnosed. The capacities of scintigraphy with 199Tl chloride, a 201Tl chloride analog, in addition to routine visualization of malignant tumors of the locomotor apparatus, have revealed its untypical variants. OBJECTIVE: to study the specific features of 199Tl chloride scintigraphic visualization of malignant tumor processes in the locomotor apparatus. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: 199Tl chloride scintigraphy was performed in 85 patients having 107 foci of involvement presented with malignant (n = 57) and benign (n = 50) tumor processes. RESULTS: Malignant tumors were scintigraphically visualized in 98.1% of cases. Three types of their visualization were identified and studied; these included positive (82.4%) and rare: negative (7.8%), and mixed (9.8%) types associated with the specific features of the histological structure, metabolism, and blood supply of neoplasms and with the pharmacodynamic features of 199Tl chloride. The negative and mixed types, unlike metastatic neoplasms, were highly specific to primary or recurrent malignant tumors. CONCLUSION: Consideration of the negative and mixed types of scintigraphic visualization in addition to routine positive one permitted the sensitivity of diagnosis of malignant locomotor tumors to be increased from 90.4 to 98.1%, without reducing the specificity of 199Tl chloride scintigraphy.