Utility of 11C-methionine and 11C-donepezil for imaging of Staphylococcus aureus induced osteomyelitis in a juvenile porcine model: comparison to autologous 111In-labelled leukocytes, 99m Tc-DPD, and 18F-FDG.

The aim of this study was to compare 11C-methionine and 11C-donepezil positron emission tomography (PET) with 111In-labeled leukocyte and 99m Tc-DPD (Tc-99m 3,3-diphosphono-1,2-propanedicarboxylic acid) single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT), and 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (18F-FDG) PET to improve detection of osteomyelitis. The tracers' diagnostic utility where tested in a juvenile porcine hematogenously induced osteomyelitis model comparable to osteomyelitis in children. Five 8-9 weeks old female domestic pigs were scanned seven days after intra-arterial inoculation in the right femoral artery with a porcine strain of Staphylococcus aureus. The sequential scan protocol included Computed Tomography, 11C-methionine and 11C-donepezil PET, 99m Tc-DPD and 111In-labelled leukocytes scintigraphy, and 18F-FDG PET. This was followed by necropsy of the pigs and gross pathology, histopathology, and microbial examination. The pigs developed a total of 24 osteomyelitic lesions, 4 lesions characterized as contiguous abscesses and pulmonary abscesses (in two pigs). By comparing the 24 osteomyelitic lesions, 18F-FDG accumulated in 100%, 111In-leukocytes in 79%, 11C-methionine in 79%, 11C-donepezil in 58%, and 99m Tc-DPD in none. Overall, 18F-FDG PET was superior to 111In-leukocyte SPECT and 11C-methionine in marking infectious lesions.