Unusual and Diffuse Hypermetabolism in Routine 18F-FDG PET/CT of the Supra-aortic Vessels in Biopsy-Positive Giant Cell Arteritis

Clin Nucl Med. 2018 Sep;43(9):e336-e337. doi: 10.1097/RLU.0000000000002198.

Abstract

F-FDG PET-CT used to lack of resolution to detect vasculitis in the superficial cranial and cervical arteries. Very few cases, for which some of these arteries were visualized, are published, and the images were acquired using a dedicated PET protocol. We present a case, acquired using a routine whole-body protocol, with increased tracer uptake detected in vertebral arteries, internal and external carotid arteries, superficial temporal arteries, occipital arteries, maxillary arteries, facial arteries, and lingual arteries. It underlines the potential for newer-generation PET-CT system to assess vasculitis. F-FDG PET-CT may have an important role to detect and follow vasculitis in the future.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Aorta / diagnostic imaging
  • Aorta / pathology
  • Fluorodeoxyglucose F18
  • Giant Cell Arteritis / diagnostic imaging*
  • Giant Cell Arteritis / pathology
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Positron Emission Tomography Computed Tomography*
  • Radiopharmaceuticals

Substances

  • Radiopharmaceuticals
  • Fluorodeoxyglucose F18