Differential diagnosis of CNS lesions in AIDS patients by FDG-PET.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to evaluate the potential of FDG-PET in the differential diagnosis of CNS lesions in patients with AIDS, particularly to differentiate between toxoplasmosis and lymphoma.


METHODS
We examined 11 AIDS patients, 6 with toxoplasmosis, 1 with a tuberculoma, and 4 with a primary CNS lymphoma. The FDG uptake within the lesion was compared with the uptake in a contralateral brain area [standardized uptake value (SUV)].


RESULTS
In all subjects with cerebral infections (toxoplasmosis, tuberculoma), the SUV ratio was significantly (p < 0.05) lower than the SUV ratio in patients with lymphoma (range of 0.3-0.7 vs. 1.7-3.1) with no overlap of the uptake values.


CONCLUSIONS
In conclusion, FDG-PET may help to characterize these lesions metabolically and play an important role in the clinical management of AIDS patients with CNS involvement.
Villringer
K
K
Department of Nuclear Medicine, Curatorium for Immunodeficiency, Munich, Germany.
Jäger
H
H
Dichgans
M
M
Ziegler
S
S
Poppinger
J
J
Herz
M
M
Kruschke
C
C
Minoshima
S
S
Pfister
H W
HW
Schwaiger
M
M
D017088:AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D000328:Adult; D001921:Brain / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D016543:Central Nervous System Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D003847:Deoxyglucose / Q000031:analogs & derivatives*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005260:Female; D005462:Fluorine Radioisotopes; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D016483:Lymphoma, AIDS-Related / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D008297:Male; D013997:Time Factors; D014055:Tomography, Emission-Computed; D016781:Toxoplasmosis, Cerebral / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D016862:Tuberculoma, Intracranial / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*
D005462:Fluorine Radioisotopes; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; D003847:Deoxyglucose