title: Imaging atherosclerotic plaque inflammation with [18F]-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Atherosclerotic plaque rupture is usually a consequence of inflammatory cell activity within the plaque. Current imaging techniques provide anatomic data but no indication of plaque inflammation. The glucose analogue [18F]-fluorodeoxyglucose (18FDG) can be used to image inflammatory cell activity non-invasively by PET. In this study we tested whether 18FDG-PET imaging can identify inflammation within carotid artery atherosclerotic plaques.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Eight patients with symptomatic carotid atherosclerosis were imaged using 18FDG-PET and co-registered CT. Symptomatic carotid plaques were visible in 18FDG-PET images acquired 3 hours post-18FDG injection. The estimated net 18FDG accumulation rate (plaque/integral plasma) in symptomatic lesions was 27% higher than in contralateral asymptomatic lesions. There was no measurable 18FDG uptake into normal carotid arteries. Autoradiography of excised plaques confirmed accumulation of deoxyglucose in macrophage-rich areas of the plaque.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study demonstrates that atherosclerotic plaque inflammation can be imaged with 18FDG-PET, and that symptomatic, unstable plaques accumulate more 18FDG than asymptomatic lesions.
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, University of Cambridge, Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge, UK.
authors.forename: J H F
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Rudd
authors.forename: E A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Warburton
authors.forename: T D
authors.initials: TD
authors.lastname: Fryer
authors.forename: H A
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Clark
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Antoun
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Johnström
authors.forename: A P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Davenport
authors.forename: P J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Kirkpatrick
authors.forename: B N
authors.initials: BN
authors.lastname: Arch
authors.forename: J D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Pickard
authors.forename: P L
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Weissberg
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001161:Arteriosclerosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D002340:Carotid Artery Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18 / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D014055:Tomography, Emission-Computed / Q000379:methods*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
chemical_list: D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18