The value of 67Ga-citrate scanning in psoas abscess

Psoas abscess is a serious health problem which presents with non-specific symptoms and signs. To reduce morbidity and mortality, it is important to diagnose the presence and extent of a psoas abscess accurately using imaging studies. Because the Ga-67 scan may facilitate the early diagnosis of insidious infection and assist CT-guided percutaneous drainage of the abscess, we examined the value of Ga-67 scans in 18 patients with psoas abscess. The imaging results of Ga-67 scans (18 patients), computed tomography (CT) (16 patients) and bone scans (13 patients) were analysed. In this series, concomitant infections were very common (94%) in patients with psoas abscess. For detecting psoas abscess, the sensitivity of Ga-67 scanning (92%) and CT (91%) was similar. However, 67 Ga scanning is superior to CT in demonstrating concomitant infectious foci at other sites. Bone scanning is a sensitive tool for depicting osteomyelitis, which was common in this series of patients. We also found that increased vascularity in the psoas area was demonstrated by three-phase bone scanning in 60% of patients.