High FDG uptake on FDG-PET scan in HIV-1 infected patient with advanced disease

We report the case of a 48-year-old Caucasian male positive for HIV-1 who was admitted in our clinic for a fever of unknown origin with weight loss. The CD4 cell count was 99/mm3 and the viral load (VL) was 836500 copies/ml. A first FDG-PET-CT showed abnormal hypermetabolism of multiple lymp nodes, of the bone marrow and of the spleen. Tuberculosis and lymphoma were excluded by a lymph node biopsy and a culture. Six months after the start of a highly active anti-retroviral therapy (HAART) containing lamuvidine, tenofovir, atazanavir boosted by ritonavir, a new FDG-PET-CT showed a complete normalisation of the metabolism in the regions previously described as having a high FDG uptake. The VL was < 37 copies/ml and his CD4 cell count was 399/mm3.

in patients with advanced HIV infections presenting with FUO, high uptake in 18FDG-PET-CT can be the marker of advanced disease reflecting the areas of viral replication.