Inflammation is a complex reaction of the organism which develops as a response to invasion of an infectious subject or as a response to injury to cells or tissues. Correct and early localization of infection or an inflammatory lesion allows removing the inflammatory cause quickly. Over the recent thirty years, a wide range of radiopharmaceuticals, more or less applicable in scintigraphic imaging of inflammatory and infectious diseases, have been developed. The aim has been to develop new substances that are non-toxic, do not provoke immune reactions, and produce a minimal absorbed radioactive dose. Furthermore, these substances should accumulate significantly in the target tissue (i.e. in inflammation), while the accumulation in non-target tissues should be minimal or the elimination of radiopharmaceuticals from non-target tissues must be quick. The goal is that these substances may also be easily available and inexpensive. Another purpose is to develop such substances that could possess not only sufficient sensitivity but also specificity in relation to certain types of inflammation and infection. The main indications for radionuclide imaging are as follows: inflammatory bowel disease, soft tissue sepsis, predominantly abdominal sepsis, musculoskeletal infection, and fever of unknown origin.

        Key words: imaging – inflammation – infection – radiopharmaceuticals