MRI features of mandibular osteomyelitis: practical criteria based on an association with conventional radiography features and clinical classification

ObjectivesThe aims of this study were (1) to assess the diagnostic power of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for mandibular osteomyelitis through comparison with conventional techniques and (2) to establish practical MRI diagnostic criteria in relation to treatment and clinical outcome.Study designIn 55 subjects, clinically suspected as mandibular osteomyelitis, signal intensities (SI) were evaluated on T1-weighted/short T1 inversion recovery (STIR) images.ResultsForty-seven subjects were definitively diagnosed as having osteomyelitis by pathology studies or clinical course. For the acute or subacute stage, positively associated appearances were low SI on T1-weighted image and extensive high or focal high SI on the STIR image. For chronic stage, appearances of low SI on both T1-weighted and STIR images should be added to those for the acute or subacute stage. These findings support the at-present accepted imaging diagnostic criteria based on bony changes for detection of osteomyelitis.ConclusionThis study confirms that T1-weighted/STIR images are useful for the detection of mandibular osteomyelitis.