The diagnosis of infections associated with orthopedic implants is based on a combination of clinical signs, laboratory findings and imaging studies. There is no gold standard imaging technique: conventional radiography is indispensable, although 50% of the time the radiograph is normal. Computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and ultrasonography are valuable to detect soft tissue abnormalities. Bone scintigraphy (BS) rules out active infection. For infections involving the peripheral skeleton, labeled white blood cell (WBC) scintigraphy coupled with colloid scintigraphy is the reference technique, whereas a gallium scan is always necessary for imaging the spine or pelvis. To confirm or rule out infection, needle aspiration with analysis of aspirated fluid is the cornerstone of the diagnostic algorithm.

l-Citrulline increases fetal growth in a model of IUGR, and the effect may be mediated by enhanced fetal muscle protein synthesis and/or increased NO production.

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GBPS is a simple and widely available technique that can assess both LVEF and RVEF, and volumes with slight differences compared with CMR.

Background Diagnostic and patients’ management modifications induced by whole-body 18F-FDG-PET/CT had not been evaluated so far in prosthetic valve (PV) or native valve (NV) infective endocarditis (IE)-suspected patients. Methods 140 consecutive patients in 8 tertiary care hospitals underwent 18F-FDG-PET/CT. ESC-2015-modified Duke criteria and patients’ management plan were established jointly by two experts before 18F-FDG-PET/CT. The same experts reestablished Duke classification and patients’ management plan immediately after qualitative interpretation of 18F-FDG-PET/CT. A 6-month final Duke classification was established. Results Among the 70 PV and 70 NV patients, 34 and 46 were classified as definite IE before 18F-FDG-PET/CT. Abnormal perivalvular 18F-FDG uptake was recorded in 67.2% PV and 24.3% NV patients respectively (p<0.001) and extracardiac uptake in 44.3% PV and 51.4% NV patients. IE classification was modified in 24.3% and 5.7% patients (p=0.005) (net reclassification index 20% and 4.3%). Patients’ managements were modified in 21.4% PV and 31.4% NV patients (p=0.25). It was mainly due to perivalvular uptake in PV patients and to extra-cardiac uptake in NV patients and consisted in surgery plan modifications in 7 patients, antibiotic plan modifications in 22 patients and both in 5 patients. Altogether, 18F-FDG-PET/CT modified classification and/or care in 40% of the patients (95% CI: 32-48), which was most likely to occur in those with a non-contributing echocardiography (p<0.001) or IE classified as possible at baseline (p=0.04), while there was no difference between NV and PV. Conclusions Systematic 18F-FDG-PET/CT did significantly and appropriately impact diagnostic classification and/or IE management in PV and NV-IE suspected patients.

In a model of IUGR induced by protein deprivation, citrulline enhances fetal growth, placental efficiency, and the expression of genes involved in angiogenesis. The relevance of such effect in human pregnancies complicated by IUGR warrants further study.

There is no consensus on a diagnostic strategy for osteomyelitis underlying pressure ulcers. We conducted a prospective study to assess the accuracy of multiple bone biopsies and imaging to diagnose pelvic osteomyelitis. Patients with clinically suspected osteomyelitis beneath pelvic pressure ulcers were enrolled. Bone magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and surgical bone biopsies (three or more for microbiology and one for histology per ulcer) were performed. Bacterial osteomyelitis diagnosis relied upon the association of positive histology and microbiology (at least one positive culture for non-commensal microorganisms or three or more for commensal microorganisms of the skin). From 2011 to 2014, 34 patients with 44 pressure ulcers were included. Bacterial osteomyelitis was diagnosed for 28 (82.3%) patients and 35 (79.5%) ulcers according to the composite criterion. Discrepancy was observed between histology and microbiology for 5 (11.4%) ulcers. Most common isolates were Staphylococcus aureus (77.1%), Peptostreptococcus (48.6%) and Bacteroides (40%), cultured in three or more samples in 42.9% of ulcers for S. aureus and ≥20% for anaerobes. Only 2.8% of ulcers had three or more positive specimens with coagulase-negative staphylococci, group B Streptococcus, and nil with enterococci and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Staphylococcus aureus, Proteus and group milleri Streptococcus were recovered from one sample in 22.8%, 11.4% and 11.4% of ulcers, respectively. Agreement was poor between biopsies and MRI (κ 0.2). Sensitivity of MRI was 94.3% and specificity was 22.2%. The diagnosis of pelvic osteomyelitis relies on multiple surgical bone biopsies with microbiological and histological analyses. At least three bone samples allows the detection of pathogens and exclusion of contaminants. MRI is not routinely useful for diagnosis.