Aortic inflammation, as assessed by hybrid FDG-PET/CT imaging, is associated with enhanced aortic stiffness in addition to concurrent calcification
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Updated: Jun 26, 2026

Calcification of Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells and Imaging of Aortic Calcification and Inflammation
Published on: May 31, 2016
Laure Joly1, Wassila Djaballah, Gregory Koehl
1Department of Geriatric Medicine, CHU-Nancy, Nancy, France.
Purpose:
To analyse the relationship between: (i) aortic pulse wave velocity (PWV), an index of aortic stiffness with strong prognostic significance, and (ii) aortic calcification and inflammation, which were quantified by hybrid imaging with X-ray computed tomography (CT) and (18)F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography (PET).
Methods:
Central aortic (carotid-femoral) and peripheral (carotid-brachial and femoral-tibial) PWV were recorded in 26 patients, who had been routinely referred for dual FDG-PET/CT imaging.
Results:
In univariate analyses, central aortic PWV was strongly linked to the volume of calcifications (VCa) and an enhanced FDG activity, when determined by averaging standardized uptake values (SUV(max)). By multivariate stepwise analysis including age and gender, both VCa (p < 0.0001) and SUV(max) (p < 0.01) were significant determinants of PWV explaining 61% and 11% of its variability.
Conclusion:
Aortic inflammation, assessed by hybrid FDG-PET/CT imaging, is associated with an enhanced aortic stiffness, in addition to the concurrent impact of calcifications.
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