Sternoclavicular Pyarthrosis Demonstrated on Bone Scan Correlation with CT and MRI

The sternoclavicular joint is an uncommon site of infection, but it has been found in intravenous drug abusers and in patients recovering from surgery. Nontraumatic cases of pyarthrosis involving the sternoclavicular joint, with associated osteomyelitis, are thought to be the result of hematogenous...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Clinical nuclear medicine 1991-10, Vol.16 (10), p.786-787
Main Authors: SHANLEY, DEAN J, VASSALLO, CHARLES J, BUCKNER, ARTHUR B
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adolescent
Arthritis, Infectious - diagnostic imaging
Female
Humans
Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Radionuclide Imaging
Sternoclavicular Joint
Technetium Tc 99m Medronate
Tomography, X-Ray Computed
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Summary:The sternoclavicular joint is an uncommon site of infection, but it has been found in intravenous drug abusers and in patients recovering from surgery. Nontraumatic cases of pyarthrosis involving the sternoclavicular joint, with associated osteomyelitis, are thought to be the result of hematogenous seeding secondary to bacteremia. The clinical presentation of sternoclavicular pyarthrosis can mimic a neoplastic process, and differentiating these entities poses a diagnostic challenge. The authors present a case of sternoclavicular pyarthrosis and associated osteomyelitis following an acute episode of bacterial sinusitis in an otherwise healthy patient. This unusual presentation prompted a multi-imaging evaluation of the sternoclavicular joint to exclude an underlying neoplasm. The findings on bone scan, CT, and MRI suggested an infectious cause, later confirmed by fine needle aspiration. Bone scan, CT, and MRI examinations provided complimentary information in the evaluation of this musculoskeletal disorder, thereby helping to differentiate between an infectious and a neoplastic process.
ISSN:0363-9762
1536-0229
DOI:10.1097/00003072-199110000-00021