Signs and Artifacts in Amyloid PET.

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Radiology
• Nuclear Medicine

Background:

• Early diagnosis of Alzheimer dementia is challenging but critical for timely intervention.
• Emerging disease-modifying therapies necessitate prompt and accurate Alzheimer dementia diagnosis.
• Atypical dementia presentations and early mild cognitive impairment require advanced diagnostic tools.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the appropriate use criteria for amyloid PET in diagnosing Alzheimer dementia.
• To introduce the properties of fluorine 18 (18F)-labeled radiopharmaceuticals for amyloid detection.
• To provide guidance on interpreting amyloid PET scans, including normal and abnormal findings, with MRI correlation.

Main Methods:

• Review of appropriate use criteria for amyloid PET imaging.
• Description of three FDA-approved 18F-labeled radiopharmaceuticals for in vivo amyloid detection.
• Algorithmic approach to interpretation of amyloid PET studies, including normal/abnormal patterns and artifacts.
• Correlation of amyloid PET findings with MRI.

Main Results:

• Amyloid PET is valuable for diagnosing Alzheimer dementia in challenging cases.
• Preliminary data suggest amyloid PET findings influence clinical management.
• Knowledge of imaging features of 18F-labeled radiopharmaceuticals aids accurate interpretation.

Conclusions:

• Amyloid PET is an important tool for diagnosing Alzheimer dementia, particularly in complex presentations.
• Understanding imaging characteristics of amyloid PET tracers is essential for radiologists.
• This review provides a comprehensive guide to amyloid PET interpretation for improved Alzheimer dementia diagnosis.