[18F] FDG PET/CT in patients with fever of unknown origin: a local experience.
OBJECTIVE
2-deoxy-2-[¹⁸F]fluoro-D-glucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography ([¹⁸F] FDG PET/CT) has become an established imaging tool in oncology and is now emerging in the field of infectious disease. The aim of this study is to assess the value of fluorine [¹⁸F] FDG PET/CT in the investigation of patients with fever of unknown origin (FUO).


METHODS
[¹⁸F] FDG PET/CT scans and clinical data of 12 patients were reviewed. These patients met the revised definition criteria of FUO (febrile illness of greater than 3 weeks duration, temperature greater than 38.3°C and no diagnosis after at least 3 days of in-patient investigation or 2 weeks of outpatient investigation). A retrospective analysis of our local database was performed and evaluated for the diagnostic contribution of [¹⁸F] FDG PET/CT scans.


RESULTS
An infective cause of the FUO was found in four (33.3%) patients, a neoplasm in two (16.7%) patients, non-infectious inflammatory disease or autoimmune in one (8.3%) patient. A definitive causative agent could not be found in five (41.7%) patients despite extensive investigations.In all, five (41.6%) patients had a PET/CT scan that was abnormal and was deemed 'helpful' as part of the investigation that pointed to the final diagnosis. Two (16.7%) patients had abnormal scans, which were deemed 'not-helpful' for the final diagnosis.


CONCLUSIONS
[¹⁸F] FDG PET/CT can be helpful in some patients with FUO. This study adds value to the limited data published so far on this subject.
Kei
Pin Lin
PL
Department of Nuclear Medicine and PET, Singapore General Hospital, Outram Road, Singapore. Kei.pin.lin@sgh.com.sg
Kok
Tian Yue
TY
Padhy
Ajit K
AK
Ng
David C
DC
Goh
Anthony S
AS
D000368:Aged; D016208:Databases, Factual; D005260:Female; D005335:Fever of Unknown Origin / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18