THE ROLE OF BONE SCINTIGRAPHY IN THE DIAGNOSIS OF CHRONIC RECURRENT MULTIFOCAL OSTEOMYELITIS IN CHILDREN

INTRODUCTION This case report presents a teenage girl hospitalized due to fever, left wrist pain and elevated inflammatory markers. These clinical findings, as well as a lytic lesion seen on plain radiographs and MRI in the distal left radius, led to the working diagnosis of acute osteomyelitis. Following 4 weeks of antibiotic therapy, a bone scan was conducted due to inadequate clinical response. It showed additional skeletal lesions and led to the final diagnosis of chronic recurrent multifocal osteomyelitis (CRMO). Treatment was changed to anti-inflammatory medications with a good response. This article presents key features of CRMO and emphasizes the role of skeletal scintigraphy in establishing the diagnosis.