Catheter-related focal FDG activity on whole body PET imaging.
BACKGROUND
Whole body FDG positron emission tomography (PET) scan is increasingly being used in the management of a variety of cancers and infections. Cancer patients and other very sick patients have central venous catheters, which could be associated with common complications like thrombosis and infections. We describe catheter-related focal FDG uptake on whole body FDG PET scans in 4 patients.


METHODS
Four patients underwent whole body FDG-PET scanning 60 minutes after intravenous injection of F18-FDG (2 for localization of site of infection, 1 for primary cancer site localization, and 1 for restaging of colon cancer). The whole body PET images were compared and correlated with the patients' history, radiology and laboratory tests.


RESULTS
Focal and intense FDG activity is seen in all 4 patients at the distal end of the intravenous catheter. The average SUV of this activity was 6.3 (n = 3). Catheter-related thrombosis was identified as the cause of FDG activity in 3 patients, whereas catheter-related infection was considered in one patient.


CONCLUSIONS
Focal and intense FDG activity, in relation to the distal end of a central venous catheter, has a benign etiology, usually seen with catheter-related venous thrombosis and can be seen with catheter related infection.
Bhargava
Peeyush
P
Division of Nuclear Medicine, Department of Radiology, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA. drbhargav@hotmail.com
Kumar
Rakesh
R
Zhuang
Hongming
H
Charron
Martin
M
Alavi
Abass
A
D000368:Aged; D002408:Catheters, Indwelling / Q000009:adverse effects*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18 / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D005549:Foreign-Body Reaction / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000209:etiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D014055:Tomography, Emission-Computed / Q000379:methods*; D020246:Venous Thrombosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000209:etiology* / Q000378:metabolism; D014915:Whole-Body Counting / Q000379:methods*
D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18