[MRI and chronic osteoarticular infections. Contribution of inversion-recuperation sequence with fat signal cancellation in the follow-up of chronic osteitis under medical treatment. Apropos of 14 cases].

MR Imaging was performed with T1 weighted, Rho T2* (Grass) and S.T.I.R. sequences on medically treated chronic osteomyelitis patients. MR Imaging is definitely the best tool available in thorough evaluation of the extent of lesions. It allows the evolution or remission of focal inflammatory lesions to be traced for follow up. Bone sequestra needing surgery can be identified and soft tissue abcesses differentiated from cellulitis. In future, MR Imaging could replace tomography and fistulography, while scintigraphy would be more useful in cases of recent acute infections and their differential diagnoses.