scholarly journals Can the Efficacy of [18F]FDG-PET/CT in Clinical Oncology Be Enhanced by Screening Biomolecular Profiles?

2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 16 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hazel O’Neill ◽  
Vinod Malik ◽  
Ciaran Johnston ◽  
John Reynolds ◽  
Jacintha O’Sullivan

Positron Emission Tomography (PET) is a functional imaging modality widely used in clinical oncology. Over the years the sensitivity and specificity of PET has improved with the advent of specific radiotracers, increased technical accuracy of PET scanners and incremental experience of Radiologists. However, significant limitations exist—most notably false positives and false negatives. Additionally, the accuracy of PET varies between cancer types and in some cancers, is no longer considered a standard imaging modality. This review considers the relative influence of macroscopic tumour features such as size and morphology on 2-Deoxy-2-[18F]fluoroglucose ([18F]FDG) uptake by tumours which, though well described in the literature, lacks a comprehensive assessment of biomolecular features which may influence [18F]FDG uptake. The review aims to discuss the potential influence of individual molecular markers of glucose transport, glycolysis, hypoxia and angiogenesis in addition to the relationships between these key cellular processes and their influence on [18F]FDG uptake. Finally, the potential role for biomolecular profiling of individual tumours to predict positivity on PET imaging is discussed to enhance accuracy and clinical utility.

Diagnostics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 557
Author(s):  
Kirsten Korsholm ◽  
Michala Reichkendler ◽  
Louise Alslev ◽  
Åse Krogh Rasmussen ◽  
Peter Oturai

Our objective was to evaluate the frequency of malignancy in incidental thyroidal uptake on 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (18F-FDG PET/CT) in a cohort of Danish patients, and furthermore to evaluate the impact of thyroid scinti-graphy in the diagnostic work-up. All whole-body PET/CT reports from 1 January 2010 to 31 December 2013 were retrospectively reviewed and further analyzed if visually increased thyroidal FDG uptake was reported. Patient electronic files were searched for further thyroid evaluation. Of 13,195 18F-FDG-PET/CT scans in 9114 patients, 312 PET/CT reports mentioned incidental thyroid FDG-uptake, and 279 patients were included in the study (3.1%). The thyroid was further investigated in 137 patients (49%), and 75 patients underwent thyroid scintigraphy. A total of 57 patients had a thyroid biopsy and 21 proceeded to surgery. Surgical specimens displayed malignancy in 10 cases, and one thyroid malignancy was found by autopsy. Hence, 11 patients were diagnosed with thyroid malignancies among 279 patients with incidental thyroid 18F-FDG uptake (3.9%). In 34 patients, a biopsy was avoided due to the results of the thyroid scintigraphy. We conclude that patients with thyroid incidentalomas can benefit from further diagnostic work-up including a thyroid scintigraphy.


Pathogens ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (7) ◽  
pp. 839
Author(s):  
Tzu-Chuan Ho ◽  
Chin-Chuan Chang ◽  
Hung-Pin Chan ◽  
Ying-Fong Huang ◽  
Yi-Ming Arthur Chen ◽  
...  

During the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, several case studies demonstrated that many asymptomatic patients with COVID-19 underwent fluorine-18 fluorodeoxyglucose ([18F]FDG) positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) examination for various indications. However, there is a lack of literature to characterize the pattern of [18F]FDG PET/CT imaging on asymptomatic COVID-19 patients. Therefore, a systematic review to analyze the pulmonary findings of [18F]FDG PET/CT on asymptomatic COVID-19 patients was conducted. This systematic review was performed under the guidelines of PRISMA. PubMed, Medline, and Web of Science were used to search for articles for this review. Articles with the key words: “asymptomatic”, “COVID-19”, “[18F]FDG PET/CT”, and “nuclear medicine” were searched for from 1 January 2020 to 20 May 2021. Thirty asymptomatic patients with COVID-19 were included in the eighteen articles. These patients had a mean age of 62.25 ± 14.85 years (male: 67.71 ± 12.00; female: 56.79 ± 15.81). [18F]FDG-avid lung lesions were found in 93.33% (28/30) of total patients. The major lesion was [18F]FDG-avid multiple ground-glass opacities (GGOs) in the peripheral or subpleural region in bilateral lungs, followed by the consolidation. The intensity of [18F]FDG uptake in multiple GGOs was 5.605 ± 2.914 (range from 2 to 12) for maximal standardized uptake value (SUVmax). [18F]FDG-avid thoracic lymph nodes (LN) were observed in 40% (12/40) of the patients. They mostly appeared in both mediastinal and hilar regions with an SUVmax of 5.8 ± 2.93 (range from 2.5 to 9.6). The [18F]FDG uptake was observed in multiple GGOs, as well as in the mediastinal and hilar LNs. These are common patterns in PET/CT of asymptomatic patients with COVID-19.


Diagnostics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 672
Author(s):  
Naja Enevold Olsen ◽  
Marie Øbro Fosbøl ◽  
Jorgen Thorup ◽  
Helle Hjorth Johannesen ◽  
Lise Borgwardt

Eosinophilic cystitis (EC) is a relatively rare, but benign inflammatory bladder disease compared to that of the malignant pediatric rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS), in which it can be mimicking on initial suspicion. The origin, symptoms and findings of both EC and RMS are still discussed and hence, lead to the challenge in distinguishing them by cystoscopy and several image modalities. We present a case in which cross-sectional imaging modalities including fluorine-18-fluro-2-deoxy-D-glucose (18F-FDG)-positron emission tomography (PET) / computed tomography (CT) / magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) (18F-FDG-PET/CT/MRI (The imaging modality 18F-FDG-PET/CT/MRI referring to two continuous scans scanned on the same 18F-FDG-tracer dose for both the whole-body 18F-FDG-PET/CT and the regional 18F-FDG-PET/MRI of the pelvis.)) raised suspicion of RMS. Hence, the final diagnosis of EC was established by repeated histopathology. It is important to have EC in mind when seeking differential diagnosis of malignant diseases like RMS in order to provide the correct treatment for the patient and highly homogenously increased 18F-FDG-uptake should raise the suspicion of EC as a differential diagnosis. Furthermore, 18F-FDG-uptake rate is suggested as a future potential biomarker for monitoring of therapeutic response in eosinophilic inflammatory diseases, thus more research on this topic is needed.


Diagnostics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (7) ◽  
pp. 1267
Author(s):  
Kanae K. Miyake ◽  
Masako Kataoka ◽  
Takayoshi Ishimori ◽  
Yoshiaki Matsumoto ◽  
Masae Torii ◽  
...  

Dedicated breast positron emission tomography (dbPET) is a new diagnostic imaging modality recently used in clinical practice for the detection of breast cancer and the assessment of tumor biology. dbPET has higher spatial resolution than that of conventional whole body PET systems, allowing recognition of detailed morphological attributes of radiotracer accumulation within the breast. 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (18F-FDG) accumulation in the breast may be due to benign or malignant entities, and recent studies suggest that morphology characterization of 18F-FDG uptake could aid in estimating the probability of malignancy. However, across the world, there are many descriptors of breast 18F-FDG uptake, limiting comparisons between studies. In this article, we propose a lexicon for breast radiotracer uptake to standardize description and reporting of image findings on dbPET, consisting of terms for image quality, radiotracer fibroglandular uptake, breast lesion uptake.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charalambos Vlachopoulos ◽  
Dimitrios Terentes - Printzios ◽  
Paraskevi Katsaounou ◽  
Eirini Solomou ◽  
Vassiliki Gardikioti ◽  
...  

Abstract AimArterial involvement has been implicated in the coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19). 18F-fluoro-2-deoxy-d-glucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (18F-FDG PET/CT) imaging is a valuable tool for the assessment of disease severity in different types of vasculitis and is a predictor of outcome. We sought to prospectively assess the presence of aortic inflammation and its time-dependent trend by measuring the 18-FDG uptake in PET/CT in patients with severe or critical COVID-19.Methods In this pilot case control study, we recruited 20 patients, who were admitted with severe or critical COVID-19 illness. Patients underwent imaging between 20 to 120 days after hospital admission. Ten age- and sex-matched individuals with prior history of malignancy but free of active disease served as the control group. Arterial inflammation was assessed by measuring 18-FDG uptake in PET/CT and calculating aortic target to blood ratio (TBR).ResultsThere was a significant correlation between aortic TBR values and time distance from diagnosis to 18F-FDG PET/CT scan (-rho- =0.547, p=0.015) even after adjustment for confounders (p=0.002). Patients who were scanned less than 60 days (median) from diagnosis had significantly higher TBR values compared to patients examined more than 60 days post-diagnosis (1.55 [1.47-1.61] vs 1.40 [1.33-1.45], respectively, p=0.013).ConclusionThis is the first study suggesting that 18 FDG PET/CT imaging could be used for assessment of arterial inflammation in patients with severe/critical COVID-19. These findings may have important implications for the understanding of the pathophysiology and the course of the disease and for improving our preventive and therapeutic strategies.


Open Heart ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. e001141
Author(s):  
Nikhil V Joshi ◽  
Maysoon Elkhawad ◽  
Rachael O Forsythe ◽  
Olivia M B McBride ◽  
Nikil K Rajani ◽  
...  

ObjectiveUsing combined positron emission tomography and CT (PET-CT), we measured aortic inflammation and calcification in patients with abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA), and compared them with matched controls with atherosclerosis.MethodsWe prospectively recruited 63 patients (mean age 76.1±6.8 years) with asymptomatic aneurysm disease (mean size 4.33±0.73 cm) and 19 age-and-sex-matched patients with confirmed atherosclerosis but no aneurysm. Inflammation and calcification were assessed using combined 18F-FDG PET-CT and quantified using tissue-to-background ratios (TBRs) and Agatston scores.ResultsIn patients with AAA, 18F-FDG uptake was higher within the aneurysm than in other regions of the aorta (mean TBRmax2.23±0.46 vs 2.12±0.46, p=0.02). Compared with atherosclerotic control subjects, both aneurysmal and non-aneurysmal aortae showed higher 18F-FDG accumulation (total aorta mean TBRmax2.16±0.51 vs 1.70±0.22, p=0.001; AAA mean TBRmax2.23±0.45 vs 1.68±0.21, p<0.0001). Aneurysms containing intraluminal thrombus demonstrated lower 18F-FDG uptake within their walls than those without (mean TBRmax2.14±0.43 vs 2.43±0.45, p=0.018), with thrombus itself showing low tracer uptake (mean TBRmax thrombus 1.30±0.48 vs aneurysm wall 2.23±0.46, p<0.0001). Calcification in the aneurysmal segment was higher than both non-aneurysmal segments in patients with aneurysm (Agatston 4918 (2901–8008) vs 1017 (139–2226), p<0.0001) and equivalent regions in control patients (442 (304-920) vs 166 (80-374) Agatston units per cm, p=0.0042).ConclusionsThe entire aorta is more inflamed in patients with aneurysm than in those with atherosclerosis, perhaps suggesting a generalised inflammatory aortopathy in patients with aneurysm. Calcification was prominent within the aneurysmal sac, with the remainder of the aorta being relatively spared. The presence of intraluminal thrombus, itself metabolically relatively inert, was associated with lower levels of inflammation in the adjacent aneurysmal wall.


Hemato ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (4) ◽  
pp. 727-738
Author(s):  
Mona-Elisabeth Revheim ◽  
Caroline Stokke ◽  
Jakob Nordberg Nørgaard ◽  
Hilde Feiring Phillips ◽  
Alexander Gul Sherwani ◽  
...  

Recent advances in the treatment of multiple myeloma (MM) have increased the need for accurate diagnosis and detection of minimal residual disease (MRD), disease characterization and localization, and response evaluation and prognostication. Positron emission tomography (PET)/computed tomography (CT) imaging combines molecular and morphological information and has been shown to be especially valuable in this disease. The most frequently used PET tracer in MM is the glucose analog 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose ([18F]FDG). [18F]FDG PET/CT has a sensitivity for detection of MM between 80% to 100% and is currently the main imaging modality for assessing treatment response and for determining MRD. However, 18F-FDG PET/CT has some limitations, and imaging with alternative tracers that may overcome these constraints should be further explored. This article discusses new targets for PET/CT imaging in the assessment of MM.


2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (Supplement_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
W Nammas ◽  
S Uotila ◽  
J Teuho ◽  
M Pietila ◽  
J Airaksinen ◽  
...  

Abstract Funding Acknowledgements Type of funding sources: None. Background 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (18F-FDG) positron emission tomography (PET) can detect arterial inflammation in individuals with atherosclerosis, but the associations among different vascular territories for 18F-FDG uptake are not known. Purpose We explored any possible correlation between arterial inflammation quantified by 18F-FDG PET in the aorta, carotid arteries, and coronary arteries in patients presenting with acute coronary syndrome (ACS), or chronic coronary artery disease (CAD). Methods Prospectively, we performed hybrid computed tomography angiography and 18F-FDG PET in 43 patients (26 ACS and 17 chronic CAD) at 6.6 ± 5.7 days following invasive coronary angiography. 18F-FDG PET was performed 90 minutes after injection of 302.2 ± 28.4 MBq 18F-FDG. Arterial 18F-FDG uptake was measured in the thoracic aorta, carotid arteries, and coronary arteries, and expressed as the target-to-background ratio (TBR; the ratio between arterial maximal standardized uptake value normalized to blood pool mean standardized uptake value) in the whole artery, and in the most diseased segment (MDS). Results Mean age was 64.9 ± 9.1 years, 90.7% males. The whole artery 18F-FDG uptake was higher in the aorta than in the carotid arteries (median TBR 2.23, interquartile range [0.36] vs. 1.88 [0.42], p &lt; 0.001); whereas uptake in the coronary arteries was lower than in the aorta or carotid arteries (1.13 [0.23], p &lt; 0.001 both). Similarly, 18F-FDG uptake in the aortic MDS was higher than in the carotid MDS (2.75 [0.62] vs. 2.25 [0.63], p &lt; 0.001); whereas 18F-FDG uptake in the coronary MDS was the lowest (1.40 [0.33], p &lt; 0.001 both). These findings were consistent in both ACS and chronic CAD patients. The whole artery 18F-FDG uptake of the aorta and carotid arteries correlated in patients with ACS (r = 0.58, p = 0.002), but not in patients with chronic CAD (r = 0.21, p = 0.3). There was no correlation between the whole artery 18F-FDG uptake in the coronary arteries and either the aorta or carotid arteries in the whole cohort (r=-0.16, p = 0.2, r = 0.01, p = 0.9, respectively), in patients with ACS (r = 0.06, p = 0.7, r=-0.01, p = 0.9, respectively), or in those with chronic CAD (r=-0.4, p = 0.1, r=-0.09, p = 0.7, respectively). Conclusions In patients with ACS or chronic CAD, large arteries had higher 18F-FDG uptake than the coronary arteries. The intensity of 18F-FDG uptake in the coronary arteries did not correlate with that in the carotid arteries or the aorta, indicating that disease activity differs between large arteries and coronary arteries.


2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 1151-1160
Author(s):  
A.S. Lukashevich ◽  

Purpose. The purpose of the article is to evaluate the diagnostic significance of positron emission tomography / computed tomography with 18F -fluorodeoxyglucose (18F -FDG PET/CT) for the diagnosis of prosthetic endocarditis. Methods of research. The study included 82 patients with suspected prosthetic endocarditis in accordance with the criteria proposed by Duke University [1-5]. The patients received hospital treatment at the State Institution RSPC "Cardiology" from January 2016 to March 2021. The study was of a prospective, non-randomized, single-center cohort design. The duration of the monitor period was 12 months from the moment of patients’ inclusion in the study. Whole-body positron emission tomography / computed tomography (PET/CT) examinations were performed in 82 patients. 27 patients were selected for surgical treatment. Conservative treatment group included 16 patients. 27 patients were selected into the observation group, they were suspected to have prosthetic heart valve infection in the primary referral and underwent PET/CT scanning, according to which the diagnosis of prosthetic endocarditis was excluded. The event under the study did not develop in this group during the year of observation. Results and conclusion. The history of infective endocarditis was not statistically significant and did not increase the risk of developing prosthetic endocarditis in the sample presented. The Duke criteria are less reliable in establishing the diagnosis of prosthetic endocarditis. The median number of days from the date of the first prosthesis implantation to the onset of prosthetic endocarditis was about 4 years. This study revealed that the development of the infectious process in the area of the prosthesis was noted in a more distant postoperative period compared to literature data. Histological confirmation of infection was noted in 100% (27 patients) of cases in reoperated patients. The presence of a more formidable complication such as valve ring abscess located mainly in the projection of the aortic valve ring was quite common in both groups. Presepsin and Interleukin-6 have a statistically significant (U = 394,50 p = 0,01 and U = 94,50 p = 0.004) value in the prognosis of prosthetic endocarditis. Considering the data obtained from ROC analysis, it can be said that the cut-off point at which it is possible to diagnose prosthetic endocarditis based on PETCT is 2.85. The presented methods for the interpretation of whole-body FDG-PET/CT images of patients with suspected infectious complications after cardiac surgery, as well as with the presence of prosthetic endocarditis, show high sensitivity and specificity.


CHEST Journal ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 148 (4) ◽  
pp. 168A
Author(s):  
MYUNGSUN LEE ◽  
Ina Jung ◽  
Youngran Kim ◽  
Jiyeon Lee

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