Journal of nuclear medicine : official publication, Society of Nuclear Medicine
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Successful treatment of pheochromocytoma requires accurate diagnosis and localization of tumors. Herein, we investigated the accuracy of PET using 3,4-dihydroxy-6-(18)F-fluoro-phenylalanine ((18)F-FDOPA), an amino acid transporter substrate, as an independent marker for detection of benign and malignant pheochromocytomas. ⋯ (18)F-FDOPA PET and PET/CT are highly sensitive and specific tools that can provide additional independent information for diagnosis and localization of benign and malignant pheochromocytomas.
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The first aim of our study was to compare the role of (18)F-FDG PET/CT with that of CT alone in detecting the primary cause of ascites. A secondary aim was to compare the value of (18)F-FDG PET/CT with that of CT alone in detecting abdominal cavity metastasis. Finally, we analyzed the receiver-operating-characteristic (ROC) curves of maximal standardized uptake values (SUVmax), serum carcinoembryonic antigen, CA19-9, and CA12-5 for differential diagnostic abilities. ⋯ (18)F-FDG PET/CT assisted in detecting the original cause of ascites. The differential diagnostic ability of (18)F-FDG PET/CT was superior to that of CT alone, tumor markers, and cytology. More attention should be paid to peritoneal tuberculosis, which can markedly accumulate (18)F-FDG and mimic peritoneal carcinoma.
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PET/CT imaging with (18)F-FDG has been used to detect inflammation in carotid and aortic plaque; its use in detecting coronary plaque has been limited by avid (18)F-FDG uptake by the myocardium. We investigated whether (18)F-FDG PET/CT could be used to image inflammation in coronary arteries as a potential noninvasive method to detect vulnerable plaque. ⋯ In this retrospective study, we demonstrated the potential use of (18)F-FDG PET in imaging of inflammation in coronary arteries. The potential of (18)F-FDG PET is also being investigated in a prospective study.
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(18)F-FDG PET/CT is used for detecting cancer and monitoring cancer response to therapy. However, because of the variable rates of glucose metabolism, not all cancers are identified reliably. Sodium (18)F was previously used for bone imaging and can be used as a PET/CT skeletal tracer. The combined administration of (18)F and (18)F-FDG in a single PET/CT study for cancer detection has not been reported to date. ⋯ Our pilot-phase prospective trial demonstrates that the combined (18)F/(18)F-FDG administration followed by a single PET/CT scan is feasible for cancer detection. This combined method opens the possibility for improved patient care and reduction in health care costs.
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Attenuation correction (AC) of whole-body PET data in combined PET/MRI tomographs is expected to be a technical challenge. In this study, a potential solution based on a segmented attenuation map is proposed and evaluated in clinical PET/CT cases. ⋯ A segmented attenuation map with 4 classes derived from CT data had only a small effect on the SUVs of (18)F-FDG-avid lesions and did not change the interpretation for any patient. This approach appears to be practical and valid for MRI-based AC.