Molecular imaging of coronary inflammation
Matthieu Pelletier-Galarneau1, Terrence D Ruddy2
1Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Institut de cardiologie de Montréal, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada; Gordon Center for Medical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.
Abstract:
Coronary inflammation is related to atherosclerotic disease and, less frequently, systemic vasculitis. Regardless of the etiology, coronary inflammation is associated with adverse cardiac events. Molecular imaging with 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography (PET/CT) allows in vivo assessment of coronary inflammation and evaluation of response to therapy. The aim of this review is to give an update on the recent development of FDG-PET/CT, discuss the potential roles of coronary inflammation imaging, review the limitations of FDG-PET/CT imaging, and give an overview of the new tracers available for PET/CT plaque imaging.
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