Longitudinal Monitoring of Complicated Osteomyelitis by SPECT/CT

The key fact remains that the diagnosis and management of complicated osteomyelitis still represents a challenge for physicians. On a global scale especially, posttraumatic osteomyelitis, endo-prosthesis infection (all prosthetic materials, also nails and plates) and diabetic foot, involve high social and economic cost. Optimal treatment in many countries is often not granted so the infection rate is relatively high. Many of these patients require long term clinical management and treatment options are less than objective. The novel technology of SPECT/CT is expected to improve the diagnosis and management of these patients. There is a need to assess the importance of nuclear medicine techniques in the long term follow-up of complicated osteomyelitis.
This CRP will seek to assess the role of hybrid or fusion SPECT/CT imaging in diagnostic work-up and management of patients with complicated osteomyelitis. The success of this will strengthen the referral for this traditional type of nuclear medicine service. The CRP will provide suitable guidelines to improve treatment outcomes of chronic, complicated osteomyelitis and therefore impact on social and economic benefit for many communities.