[Clinical application of radionuclide bone scintigraphy in diagnosis of avascular osteonecrosis in patients with severe acute respiratory syndrome in convalescence].

Objective: To evaluate the clinical value of radionuclide bone scintigraphy in diagnosis of avascular osteonecrosis in patients with severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in convalescence.

Methods: We performed three-phase bone scintigraphy of femoral head regions and whole-body bone scan in SARS patients 4-6 months after they recovered from the syndrome, and then compared the results with simultaneous MRI.

Results: Typical avascular necrosis at different stages and severities was found on bone scintigraphy at 31 femoral heads of 16 SARS patients, 97% of which were MRI positive. Suspicious necrosis was found at 42 femoral heads of 23 patients, 67% of which were MRI negative. Among 30 patients with normal three-phase scintigraphic results, 10% of whom were suspicious on MRI. In addition, abnormal distributions of radioactivity were observed in other bones on the whole-body bone scans of 29 patients, including osteonecrosis of knees in 15 patients.

Conclusions: Radionuclide bone scintigraphy is valuable in early diagnosis of osteonecrosis in SARS patients in convalescence. It provides a mutually supplementary tool for MRI.