Gallium-67 Studies in a Patient with Multiple Muscular Abscesses

Abstract

A 45-year-old diabetic was admitted with one-week history of fever and muscular pains. He had not had any trauma. On physical examination he had a firm mass within the anterior left thigh. A puncture yielded Staphylococcus aureus. Urine cultures showed the same organism, but blood cultures were negative. The patient was treated with parenteral cefalotine and netilmicin. Lymphatic and venous inflammations appeared in the left forearm after one injection. Whole-body tomoscans and spot scintiphotos were obtained at 48 hours following the administration of 185 MBq of Ga-67 citrate intravenously. The images revealed focal concentrations of radiotracer in both right and left thighs and the right elbow. They were all muscular abscesses. The diagnosis was confirmed by CT. An increased uptake of radiotracer also was localized along the inflammatory radial vein in the left forearm. In the evaluation of muscular pains with fever, Ga-67 studies may be of value in detecting scattered muscular abscesses.