Could ⁶⁸Ga-DOTA-UBI-29-41 Help Identify Chronic Osteomyelitis on PET/CT Images? A Pilot Study

This pilot study aimed to confirm the presence of infectious agents in infection foci using PET/CT imaging with 68Ga-DOTA-UBI (29-41) in 7 patients with chronic osteomyelitis and with indications for surgical cleaning at the site of the infection focus. The whole-body PET/CT was performed on Biograph mCT 40 PET/CT scanner (Siemens Healthineers); the image began 45-60 minutes postinjection of the radiotracer (148-260 MBq). This study demonstrated that, in 6 patients in whom the PET/CT was classified as positive for identified infectious foci, confirmed by culture of the secretion sample collected during surgery, only 1 patient in antibiotic therapy was negative.