![Quantification of Atherosclerotic Plaque Activity and Vascular Inflammation using [18-F] Fluorodeoxyglucose Positron Emission Tomography/Computed Tomography (FDG-PET/CT)](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcloudfront.jove.com%2FCDNSource%2Fteasers%2F3777.jpg&w=3840&q=50)
Vascular inflammation imaging with 18F-FDG PET/CT: when to image?
Leon J Menezes1, Carl W Kotze, Brian F Hutton
1Institute of Nuclear Medicine, University College Hospital, University College London, London, United Kingdom.
Summary
Imaging abdominal aortic aneurysm with (18)F-FDG PET/CT shows no significant advantage at 3 hours compared to 1 hour post-injection. Vascular uptake measurements, including target-to-background ratio, remained consistent, suggesting earlier imaging is sufficient.
Area of Science:
- Nuclear Medicine
- Cardiovascular Imaging
- Radiopharmaceuticals
Background:
- Atherosclerotic abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is a significant cardiovascular disease.
- (18)F-FDG PET/CT is increasingly used to assess vascular inflammation in AAA.
- Optimal imaging time for (18)F-FDG uptake in AAA is not well-established.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the ideal imaging time for measuring vascular uptake in patients with atherosclerotic AAA after (18)F-FDG injection.
- To compare (18)F-FDG uptake in the aortic wall and lumen at different time points.
Main Methods:
- Prospective study of 17 patients with atherosclerotic AAA.
- Dynamic abdominal PET/CT scans acquired between 45-183 minutes post-(18)F-FDG injection.
- Quantification of vessel wall and lumen uptake using SUVmax and TBR.
Main Results:
- No significant difference in Target-to-Background Ratio (TBR) was observed across all imaging time points.
- Aortic wall uptake (SUVmax) showed no significant difference between 60 and 180 minutes.
- Lumen uptake (SUVmax) was significantly higher at 60 minutes compared to 180 minutes.
Conclusions:
- Imaging at 3 hours post-(18)F-FDG injection offers no significant advantage over imaging at 1 hour for assessing vascular uptake in AAA.
- Earlier imaging times (around 1 hour) are sufficient for reliable (18)F-FDG uptake measurements in AAA.
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