title: [18F] FDG PET/CT in patients with fever of unknown origin: a local experience.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nuclear Medicine and PET, Singapore General Hospital, Outram Road, Singapore. Kei.pin.lin@sgh.com.sg
authors.forename: Pin Lin
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Kei
authors.forename: Tian Yue
authors.initials: TY
authors.lastname: Kok
authors.forename: Ajit K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Padhy
authors.forename: David C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Ng
authors.forename: Anthony S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Goh
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18