Effects of blood glucose level on 18F-FDG uptake for PET/CT in normal organs: A systematic review

<div><p>Purpose</p><p>To perform a systematic review of the effect of blood glucose levels on 2-Deoxy-2-[18F]fluoro-D-glucose (18F-FDG) uptake in normal organs.</p><p>Methods</p><p>We searched the MEDLINE, EMBASE and Cochrane databases through 22 April 2017 to identify all relevant studies using the keywords “PET/CT” (positron emission tomography/computed tomography), “standardized uptake value” (SUV), “glycemia,” and “normal.” Analysis followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses recommendations. Maximum and mean SUVs and glycemia were the main parameters analyzed. To objectively measure the magnitude of the association between glycemia and 18F-FDG uptake in different organs, we calculated the effect size (ES) and the coefficient of determination (<i>R</i>²) whenever possible.</p><p>Results</p><p>The literature search yielded 225 results, and 14 articles met the inclusion criteria; studies included a total of 2714 (range, 51–557) participants. The brain SUV was related significantly and inversely to glycemia (ES = 1.26; <i>R</i>² 0.16–0.58). Although the liver and mediastinal blood pool were significantly affected by glycemia, the magnitudes of these associations were small (ES = 0.24–0.59, <i>R</i>² = 0.01–0.08) and negligible (<i>R</i>² = 0.02), respectively. Lung, bone marrow, tumor, spleen, fat, bowel, and stomach 18F-FDG uptakes were not influenced by glycemia. Individual factors other than glycemia can also affect 18F-FDG uptake in different organs, and body mass index appears to be the most important of these factors.</p><p>Conclusion</p><p>The impact of glycemia on SUVs in most organs is either negligible or too small to be clinically significant. The brain SUV was the only value largely affected by glycemia.</p></div

Organ-specific analysis of the association between glycemia and SUVmax/mean.

<p>Organ-specific analysis of the association between glycemia and SUVmax/mean.</p

Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) flow diagram.

<p>Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) flow diagram.</p

Study characteristics.

<p>Study characteristics.</p

Facebook as a tool to promote radiology education: expanding from a local community of medical students to all of South America

<div><p>Abstract Objective: To assess the feasibility of Facebook to promote a radiology education project and to expand it from our university community of medical students to a wider audience. Materials and Methods: A group of 12 medical students created a Facebook page in June 2015, to contribute to radiology education in our university. From August 2015, clinical cases, including a brief explanation of clinical findings, along with different imaging modalities, were posted weekly and subscribers were encouraged to choose the most appropriate diagnosis. All cases were followed by the appropriate answer and an explanation to highlight imaging findings and diagnosis. Aiming to reach a larger audience, we also shared cases to a public Latin-American Facebook group, comprising a collective total of 28,182 physicians and medical students. Using the Facebook Insights tracking tool, we prospectively analyzed subscriber interaction with our page for 14 months. Results: During the period analyzed, 35 cases were posted. The most common imaging modalities were X-ray (n = 15) and computed tomography (n = 13). Before we began posting the weekly cases, our page had 286 likes. By October 2016, that number had grown to 4244, corresponding to an increase of 1484% and eight times the size of the medical student community at our institution (n = 530). Medical students made up most (76%) of the subscribers, followed by radiology residents (6%). An excellent or moderate contribution to personal image interpretation skills was reported by 65.3% and 33.1% of the users, respectively. Conclusion: Creating a Facebook page and posting weekly clinical cases proved to be an effective method of promoting radiology education.</p></div

Pulmonary thromboembolism: new diagnostic imaging techniques

<div><p>Abstract The accurate diagnosis of pulmonary thromboembolism is essential to reducing the morbidity and mortality associated with the disease. The diagnosis of pulmonary thromboembolism is challenging because of the nonspecific nature of the clinical profile and the risk factors. Imaging methods provide the definitive diagnosis. Currently, the imaging method most commonly used in the evaluation of pulmonary thromboembolism is computed tomography. The recent development of dual-energy computed tomography has provided a promising tool for the evaluation of pulmonary perfusion through iodine mapping. In this article, we will review the importance of diagnosing pulmonary thromboembolism, as well as the imaging methods employed, primarily dual-energy computed tomography.</p></div

Pulmonary thromboembolism: new diagnostic imaging techniques

<div><p>Abstract The accurate diagnosis of pulmonary thromboembolism is essential to reducing the morbidity and mortality associated with the disease. The diagnosis of pulmonary thromboembolism is challenging because of the nonspecific nature of the clinical profile and the risk factors. Imaging methods provide the definitive diagnosis. Currently, the imaging method most commonly used in the evaluation of pulmonary thromboembolism is computed tomography. The recent development of dual-energy computed tomography has provided a promising tool for the evaluation of pulmonary perfusion through iodine mapping. In this article, we will review the importance of diagnosing pulmonary thromboembolism, as well as the imaging methods employed, primarily dual-energy computed tomography.</p></div