![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)
Difference in arterial FDG accumulation in healthy study participants between digital PET/CT and standard PET/CT
Noriko Nitta1, Rika Yoshimatsu2, Hitomi Iwasa1
1Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Kochi Medical School, Kochi University, Kohasu, Oko-Cho, Nankoku, Kochi, 783-8505, Japan.
Insights
Digital PET/CT shows significantly higher fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) accumulation in arteries compared to standard PET/CT. This suggests that FDG levels equal to the liver may not indicate abnormal accumulation with digital scanners.
Area of Science:
- Nuclear Medicine
- Radiology
- Medical Imaging
Background:
- Positron Emission Tomography/Computed Tomography (PET/CT) is crucial for assessing metabolic activity.
- Fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) uptake in arteries can indicate inflammation or atherosclerosis.
- Digital PET/CT scanners offer potential improvements in image quality and sensitivity over standard scanners.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare FDG accumulation in systemic arteries between digital and standard PET/CT scanners.
- To evaluate the diagnostic implications of observed differences in FDG uptake.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of 46 patients with prior standard PET/CT and recent digital PET/CT examinations.
- Visual assessment of FDG accumulation in arterial segments, comparing uptake to liver levels.
- Calculation and comparison of positivity rates for general arteries and specific arterial segments between scanner types.
Main Results:
- Digital PET/CT demonstrated significantly higher positivity rates for general arteries (97.8%) versus standard PET/CT (21.7%) (p < 0.001).
- Positivity rates were markedly elevated across all evaluated arterial segments (femoral, brachial, aortic, subclavian, iliac, carotid) with digital PET/CT.
- A substantial shift from negative to positive findings was observed in numerous arterial segments when comparing digital to standard PET/CT.
Conclusions:
- Digital PET/CT reveals significantly greater FDG accumulation in arteries than standard PET/CT.
- FDG accumulation in arteries equal to liver uptake may represent normal findings with digital PET/CT, necessitating revised interpretation criteria.
Objective:
To evaluate the differences in FDG accumulation in arteries throughout the body between digital and standard PET/CT.
Methods:
Forty-six people who had FDG-PET examinations with a digital PET/CT scanner for health screening between April 2020 and March 2021 and had previous examinations with a standard PET/CT scanner were the study participants. FDG accumulation in arteries throughout the body was visually assessed in each segment. Scan was considered positive when arterial FDG accumulation was equal to or greater than that of the liver. The positivity rates for general arteries and each arterial segment were compared between the two kinds of scanners. If any one of the arterial segments was considered positive, the general arteries were classified as positive. Moreover, the rate of change in results from the standard PET/CT to the digital scanner in the same individual (negative to positive, positive to negative) was examined.
Results:
In the evaluation of general arteries, the positivity rates were 21.7% (10 cases) for the standard PET/CT, whereas positive rates were 97.8% (45 cases) for the digital PET/CT (p < 0.001). In all arterial segments, the positivity rate was significantly higher with the digital PET/CT compared to the standard PET/CT; those with the digital PET/CT were, respectively, 95.7%, 87.0%, 73.9%, 37.0%, 34.8%, and 21.7% in the femoral, brachial, aortic, subclavian, iliac, and carotid arteries. On the other hand, those with the standard PET/CT were 13.0%, 13.0%, 19.6%, 2.2%, 0%, and 4.4% in segments in the above order. Changes from negative to positive were shown in many cases; 35 cases (76.0%) of general arteries, 38 cases (82.6%) for the femoral artery, and 34 cases (73.9%) for the brachial artery. The exception was one case in which a change from positive to negative was confirmed in the carotid artery. In all arteries considered to be positive, FDG accumulation was not greater than but was equal to that in the liver with both scanners.
Conclusions:
Arterial FDG accumulation was significantly higher with digital PET/CT compared to conventional PET/CT. With digital PET/CT, an arterial FDG accumulation equal to the liver may not to be considered as abnormal accumulation.
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