White Blood Cell SPECT/CT and Diabetic Foot Osteomyelitis

Osteomyelitis is a risk factor for lower extremity amputation in diabetic people. Antibiotic therapy allows a remission in 60 to 80% of cases. However the optimal duration of antibiotic therapy remains controversy due to the absence of validated marker of osteomyelitis remission. We have previously shown that the negativity of white blood cell SPECT/CT (Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography/Computed Tomography) imaging at the end of treatment allowed to predict remission of osteomyelitis at 1 year in all cases. A positive imaging was associated with recurrence in 70% of cases. The aim of our study was to evaluate prospectively the interest of white blood cell SPECT/CT to set the duration of antibiotic therapy.