What scans can be used to improve diagnostic accuracy for detecting osteomyelitis?
Nuclear medicine studies to consider in addition to a three-phase bone scan in patients with suspected osteomyelitis are an indium-111 ( 111 In) white blood cell (WBC) scan for the extremities; a gallium-67 ( 67 Ga) scan for the spine; or an FDG PET/CT scan, which can be used for any site of suspected osteomyelitis. Because these three studies evaluate infectious or inflammatory processes more directly rather than the response of the bone to the infection, they generally have a higher specificity than a bone scan.