title: FDG-PET/CT finding of high uptake in pulmonary alveolar microlithiasis.
abstract: Pulmonary alveolar microlithiasis (PAM) is a rare lung disease characterized by progressive intra-alveolar calcification. We present a case of PAM with abnormal accumulation of 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) in both lungs. A 55-year-old man was referred to our hospital for progressive dyspnea. He had been diagnosed with PAM 25 years earlier by transbronchial lung biopsy. High-resolution computed tomography revealed multiple dense calcifications with little aerated lung. Combined positron emission tomography and computed tomography using 18F-FDG (FDG-PET/CT) showed the abnormal accumulation of FDG in both lungs with a maximal standardized uptake value of 7.3. High FDG uptake was observed mainly in the lung regions showing sparing calcification. The patient died of respiratory failure a month later and an autopsy revealed no significant inflammatory changes in either lung. We suspect that the markedly enhanced pulmonary FDG uptake may have some relation to the pathophysiology of PAM.
authors: Department of Nuclear Medicine, International Medical Center of Japan, 1-21-1 Toyama, Tokyo 162-8655, Japan. itoukimiteru@yahoo.co.jp
authors: Kimiteru
authors: K
authors: Ito
authors: Kazuo
authors: K
authors: Kubota
authors: Masashi
authors: M
authors: Yukihiro
authors: Shinyu
authors: S
authors: Izumi
authors: Shinsuke
authors: S
authors: Miyano
authors: Koichiro
authors: K
authors: Kudo
authors: Yuki
authors: Y
authors: Sasao
mesh_terms: D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18 / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D006801:Humans; D020347:Lithiasis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011014:Pneumonia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography; D011650:Pulmonary Alveoli / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
chemical_list: D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18