Abstract
While the usefulness of a bone scan showing increased uptake of 99m Technitium diphosphonate in the diagnosis of osteomyelitis is well documented, its efficacy in differentiating thrombotic crisis from osteomyelitis in Sickle Cell Disease is not known. In an effort to differentiate these two clinical entities, we have performed bone scans in 15 children with Sickle Cell Disease who presented with bone pain. Decreased or normal isotope uptake was found in 8 patients; all of them had negative cultures and had thrombotic crises; none had osteomyelitis. Increased isotope uptake was found in 7 of the children; two of these proved to have osteomyelitis. These findings suggest that even in Sickle Cell Disease, a normal (or decreased) uptake of isotope during a bone scan is a useful diagnostic test indicating the absence of osteomyelitis.
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Rao, S., Tavormina, A., Rap, A. et al. THE USEFULNESS OF BONE SCANS IN DIFFERENTIATING OSTEOMYELITIS FROM THROMBOTIC CRISIS IN CHILDREN WITH SICKLE CELL DISEASE. Pediatr Res 11, 479 (1977). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-197704000-00655
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-197704000-00655