title: [Chilean experience with the use of 18F-deoxyglucose positron emission tomography].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Clinical oncology is the main application of 18F-deoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography (PET).
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the first 1,000 patients studied with FDG PET in Chile.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective analysis of 1,000 patients (aged between 1 and 94 years, 550 females) studied with FDG PET, since 2003. All studies were performed in a high resolution Siemens Ecat-Exact HR (+). All reports were based on the visual analysis of three plane and three-dimensional images.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Ninety seven percent of exams were done for oncological indications, mainly lung lesions, lymphoma, colorectal and gastroesophageal, cancer and breast tumors. Only 1% of patients had brain tumors. Non tumor neurological indications corresponded to 1.7%. Cardiac studies were only 0.3% and inflammatory process corresponded to 1%. The 5.6% corresponded to pediatric population. Six percent of patients were aged less than 18 years and in 50% of them, the indication was oncological, mainly lymphomas, brain tumors, endocrine cancers and sarcomas. The remaining 50% had a neurological indications, mainly for refractory epilepsy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  PET FDG imaging was effective in the management of diverse diseases of children and adults.
authors.affiliation: Sección Medicina Nuclear, Departamento de Medicina, Hospital Clínico, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile. tmassardo@redclinicauchile.cl
authors.forename: Teresa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Massardo
authors.forename: M Josefina
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Jofré
authors.forename: Paulina
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Sierralta
authors.forename: José
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Canessa
authors.forename: Patricio
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: González
authors.forename: Pamela
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Humeres
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Valdebenito
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002677:Chile; D005260:Female; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography / Q000379:methods*; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D012189:Retrospective Studies
chemical_list: D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18