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Abstract #1705

Bimodal Labelling of S. Aureus for Detection of Bacterial Colonization in Skin Infections by MRI

Verena Hoerr1, Lorena Tuchscherr2, Bettina Loeffler2, Lydia Wachsmuth1, Klaus Strobel1, Florian Schmid1, Cornelius Faber1

1Department for Clinical Radiology, University Hospital Muenster, Muenster, Germany; 2Institute of Medical Microbiology, University Hospital Muenster, Muenster, Germany


We have developed a protocol for labelling S. aureus with rhodamine coated iron-oxide particles (VSOPs). In mouse models of S. aureus infection we were able to visualize bacterial colonies in tissue and to distinguish infection from inflammation both by MRI and Fluorescence Reflectance Imaging (FRI). Using ultra-short echo-time imaging (UTE) and FLASH with complementary image contrast iron particles in bacterial colonization were detected and confirmed by fluorescence imaging. To the best of our knowledge we present the first MRI visualization of S. aureus colonization in mouse models in vivo.