Facial bone scintigraphy. V. Differentiation of purulent from non-purulent inflammation of the maxillary sinus.

In a series of 25 patients 20 had a maxillary sinus not containing air at radiography, in 11 due to purulent and in 9 to non-purulent inflammatory lesion. At scintigraphy a definitely abnormal, high uptake of 99TcmDP was found in 10 and a probably high accumulation in one of the 11 with purulent sinuitis. Of the 9 patients with non-purulent inflammation 5 had a definitely normal and 4 a probably normal uptake. Thus, a differentiation between purulent and non-purulent sinuitis would seem to be possible by means of facial bone scintigraphy.