[Chilean experience with the use of 18F-deoxyglucose positron emission tomography].
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.
Massardo
Teresa
T
Sección Medicina Nuclear, Departamento de Medicina, Hospital Clínico, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile. tmassardo@redclinicauchile.cl
Jofré
M Josefina
MJ
Sierralta
Paulina
P
Canessa
José
J
González
Patricio
P
Humeres
Pamela
P
Valdebenito
Robert
R
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
D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18