[18F]FDG PET/CT in Benign and Malignant Diseases Involving the Biliary Tract

Area of Science:

• Nuclear Medicine
• Radiology
• Gastroenterology

Background:

• The utility of FDG PET/CT in biliary tract diseases is not well-established.
• Increased glucose metabolism, detectable by FDG PET/CT, occurs in both inflammatory and neoplastic conditions of the biliary tract.

Purpose of the Study:

• To delineate the range of FDG PET/CT findings across various biliary tract pathologies.
• To explore the role of FDG PET/CT in neoplastic and benign biliary diseases.

Main Methods:

• Review of FDG PET/CT imaging findings in patients with biliary tract diseases.
• Analysis of FDG uptake patterns in infective, inflammatory, and neoplastic conditions.
• Evaluation of FDG PET/CT for staging and response assessment in biliary cancers.

Main Results:

• FDG PET/CT can characterize intrahepatic masses, distinguishing abscesses from cholangiocarcinoma.
• The study discusses false-positive FDG uptake in biliary duct stents, impacting interpretation.
• Benign conditions like Langerhans cell histiocytosis, IgG4-related disease, adenomyomatosis, and xanthogranulomatous cholecystitis were also evaluated.

Conclusions:

• FDG PET/CT offers valuable insights into the diagnosis and management of various biliary tract diseases.
• Accurate interpretation requires awareness of potential pitfalls, such as artifactual uptake from stents.
• Further research can solidify the role of FDG PET/CT in routine clinical practice for biliary pathologies.