Imaging atherosclerotic plaque inflammation by fluorodeoxyglucose with positron emission tomography: ready for prime time?
Inflammation is a determinant of atherosclerotic plaque rupture, the event leading to most myocardial infarctions and strokes. Although conventional imaging techniques identify the site and severity of luminal stenosis, the inflammatory status of the plaque is not addressed. Positron emission tomography imaging of atherosclerosis using the metabolic marker fluorodeoxyglucose allows quantification of arterial inflammation across multiple vessels. This review sets out the background and current and potential future applications of this emerging biomarker of cardiovascular risk, along with its limitations.
Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, England. jhfr2@cam.ac.uk
James H F
JH
Rudd
Jagat
J
Narula
H William
HW
Strauss
Renu
R
Virmani
Josef
J
Machac
Mike
M
Klimas
Nobuhiro
N
Tahara
Valentin
V
Fuster
Elizabeth A
EA
Warburton
Zahi A
ZA
Fayad
Ahmed A
AA
Tawakol
D000818:Animals; D001158:Arteries / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D001707:Biopsy, Needle; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005260:Female; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007249:Inflammation / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography / Q000379:methods*; D011856:Radiographic Image Enhancement; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012720:Severity of Illness Index
D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18