Computerized tomography of pelvic osteomyelitis in patients with spinal cord injuries

Computerized tomography (CT) was performed in 19 patients with spinal cord injury (SCI) who had large pressure sores and in whom other complications were suspected. CT detected the depth, extent, and degree of undermining of the edges of the pressure sores in 19 of 27 lesions. Conventional radiography detected four cases of pelvic osteomyelitis. CT detected eight additional cases of pelvic osteomyelitis, as well as eight clinically unsuspected peripelvic and intrapelvic abscesses. Technetium-99m bone scanning was not very helpful because of localization in chronic proliferative changes of bone and widespread foci of myositis ossificans, as well as in osteomyelitis. Gallium-67 scanning detected only one of six abscesses. It was not very helpful because of confusion of abscess and osteomyelitis with intense soft tissue swelling and cellulitis, which are often associated with pressure sores in patients with chronic SCI. CT was found to be, by far, the modality of choice for detection of pelvic osteomyelitis and abscess in patients with SCI.