Skeletal brucellosis: assessment with bone scintigraphy.

To assess the usefulness of bone scintigraphy in the detection of bone and joint abnormalities in brucellosis and show the pattern and frequency of such abnormalities at scintigraphy, bone scans in 214 patients with brucellosis and musculoskeletal symptoms were retrospectively analyzed. Bone scans were abnormal at a total of 319 sites in 196 patients (91.6%); 102 patients (47.7%) had multiple skeletal abnormalities. Plain radiographs were abnormal in 52 of 214 patients (24.3%). The sacroiliac joints were the most commonly affected site (142 patients [72.4%]); bilateral involvement of these joints occurred in 92 patients (46.9%). The sternoclavicular joints were affected in 32 patients (16.3%); costovertebral junctions, eight patients (4.1%); and symphysis pubis, three patients (1.5%). It is concluded that scintigraphy is sensitive in detection of skeletal brucellosis and should be performed when screening patients with brucellosis and musculoskeletal symptoms.