Bacterial meningitis complicated by spinal arachnoiditis: diagnostic contribution of Tc-99m-inulin myeloscintigraphy.

Six cases of bacterial meningitis with myeloscintigraphic evidence of medullary arachnoiditis are reported. Four patients has tuberculous meningitis, another showed severe myelopathy, and the last was suspected to have hydrocephalus. Arachnoiditis is suspected when the earliest images show a sharp decrease of tracer concentration. Scintigraphy began 2 hours after lumbar injection of Tc-99m-Polyfructosan and imaging was performed at intervals of 2, 4, and 6 hours. This method has proved easy, innoculous, reproducible, and, owing to the small amount of irradiation, studies may be repeated during and after therapy. Scintigraphy is superior to the Queckenstedt test becaise it detects partial blocks and localizes lesions.