FDG-PET/CT for diagnosis and follow-up of vasculitis

• Published in: The Journal of Medical Investigation Vol. 54; no. 3,4; pp. 345 - 349
• Main Authors: Otsuka, Hideki, Morita, Naomi, Yamashita, Kyo, Nishitani, Hiromu
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Japan The University of Tokushima Faculty of Medicine 2007
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Anti-Inflammatory Agents - therapeutic use; arteritis; FDG-PET/CT; Female; Fluorine Radioisotopes; Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; Humans; inflammation; Positron-Emission Tomography; Radiopharmaceuticals; Steroids - therapeutic use; therapy monitoring; Tomography, X-Ray Computed; vasculitis; Vasculitis - diagnostic imaging
• ISSN: 1343-1420; 1349-6867
• DOI: 10.2152/jmi.54.345

We report three cases of vasculitis evaluated by FDG-PET/CT. Vasculitis is defined as inflammatory changes and necrosis in the aterial wall. The patients presented with non-specific symptoms such as fever up or elevated inflammatory markers. FDG-PET/CT clearly demonstrated intense FDG uptake in vessel walls. A 72-year-old female patient with a one month history of pyrexia had abnormal laboratory data suggesting an inflammatory process. FDG-PET/CT was very useful for the diagnosis of vasculitis. Steroid therapy was introduced. Normalization of laboratory data and symptomatic improvement correlated with normalization of FDG uptake in the vessels. J. Med. Invest. 54: 345-349, August, 2007