Bone Scintigraphy in the Diagnosis of Fracture and Infection of the Temporal Bone

Abstract

The sensitivity of ^99mTc-MDP-bone-scinti-graphy in the diagnosis of temporal bone fracture was found equal to that of conventional radiography if the patients were examined 10 days after the trauma. Tempo ral bone osteomyelitis with concomitant moderate osteo-sclerosis was demonstrated by bone scintigraphy in 5 cases of mastoiditis with atypical symptoms. A case of apicitis was for the first time demonstrated by scintigraphy. A low sensitivity of ⁶⁷Ga-scintigraphy was demonstrated by positive ^99mTc-bone-scintigraphy and negative ⁶⁷Ga-scin-tigraphy in a patient with atypical mastoiditis. ^99mTc-scin-tigraphy was negative in 5 cases of otitis media suppura-tiva and in 3 cases of otitis media chronica cum cholestea-toma, all with slight degree of osteosclerosis in the mas-toid. The sensitivity of ^99mTc-bone-scintigraphy in frac ture and osteomyelitis of the temporal bone seems to be a function of the amount of reactive new bone formed.