Multifocal Osteoarticular Tuberculosis Resembling Skeletal Metastatic Disease Evaluation With Tc-99m MDP and Ga-67 Citrate

Extrapulmonary tuberculosis Is uncommon In the western world. In the United States, skeletal involvement accounts for 1-2% of all cases of tuberculosis and about 10% of extrapulmonary disease. As a result of lymphohematogenous dissemination, infection of bone and joints with Mycobacterlum tuberculosis occurs concomitantly with the pulmonary Infection. Because malignant bone disease is more common even in children, the diagnosis of tuberculosis may be delayed. Ga-67 scintigraphy is generally used for follow-up in soft tissue and bone infection. However, its pattern in multifocal osteoarticular tuberculosis has not been reported. The authors describe the scintlgraphic patterns of bone and Ga-67 imaging in a 12-year-old girl with multifocal bone and joint tuberculosis.