Imaging atherosclerosis with hybrid [(18)F]fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography imaging: What Leonardo da Vinci could not see

Prodigious efforts and landmark discoveries have led toward significant advances in our understanding of atherosclerosis. Despite significant efforts, atherosclerosis continues globally to be a leading cause of mortality and reduced quality of life. With surges in the prevalence of obesity and diabetes, atherosclerosis is expected to have an even more pronounced impact upon the global burden of disease. It is imperative to develop strategies for the early detection of disease. Positron emission tomography (PET) imaging utilizing [18F]fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) may provide a non-invasive means of characterizing inflammatory activity within atherosclerotic plaque, thus serving as a surrogate biomarker for detecting vulnerable plaque. The aim of this review is to explore the rationale for performing FDG imaging, provide an overview into the mechanism of action, and summarize findings from the early application of FDG PET imaging in the clinical setting to evaluate vascular disease. Alternative imaging biomarkers and approaches are briefly discussed. © 2012 The Author(s)

Comparison of 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG PET) and cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) in corticosteroid-naive patients with conduction system disease due to cardiac sarcoidosis.

Purpose Cardiac sarcoidosis (CS) is a cause of conductionsystem disease (CSD). 18F-Fluorodeoxyglucose-positronemission tomography (FDG PET) and cardiac magnetic resonance(CMR) are used for detection of CS. The relative diagnosticvalue of these has not been well studied. The aimwas tocompare these imaging modalities in this population.Methods We recruited steroid-naive patients with newly diagnosedCSD due to CS. All CS patients underwent both imagingstudies within 12 weeks of each other. Patients wereclassified into two groups: group A with chronic mild CSD(right bundle branch block and/or axis deviation), and group Bwith new-onset atrioventricular block (AVB, Mobitz type II orthird-degree AVB).Results Thirty patients were included. Positive findings onboth imaging studies were seen in 72 % of patients (13/18)in group A and in 58 % of patients (7/12) in group B. Theremainder (28 %) of the patients in group Awere positive onlyon CMR. Of the patients in group B, 8 % were positive onlyon CMR and 33 % were positive only on FDG PET. Patient