title: Is there a role for fluorine 18 fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography and positron emission tomography/computed tomography in evaluating patients with mycobacteriosis? A systematic review.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study was designed to review the emerging role of fluorine 18 fluorodeoxyglucose (¹⁸F-FDG)-positron emission tomography (PET) CT/computed tomography (PET/CT) in patients with mycobacteriosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  A comprehensive literature search of published studies through October 2010 in PubMed/MEDLINE database regarding ¹⁸F-FDG-PET and PET/CT in patients with mycobacteriosis was performed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Ultimately, we identified 16 studies comprising a total of 220 patients with mycobacteriosis. Main findings of the included studies are presented.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  (1) Mycobacteriosis commonly causes increased ¹⁸F-FDG uptake; therefore, positive ¹⁸F-FDG-PET results should be interpreted with caution in differentiating benign from malignant abnormalities. (2) ¹⁸F-FDG-PET and PET/CT are potentially useful in detecting sites of Mycobacterium infection. (3) Dual-phase ¹⁸F-FDG-PET is not useful for the differential diagnosis between malignant lesions and sites of Mycobacterium infection. (4) ¹⁸F-FDG-PET and PET/CT are useful for the evaluation of disease activity and in monitoring response to therapy in patients with mycobacteriosis. (5) Dual-tracer PET and PET/CT are potentially useful for presumptive diagnosis of solitary pulmonary nodules.
authors.affiliation: Nuclear Medicine Unit, Department of Bioimaging and Radiological Sciences, Catholic University of Sacred Heart, Rome, Italy. giorgiomednuc@libero.it
authors.forename: Giorgio
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Treglia
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Taralli
authors.forename: Maria Lucia
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Calcagni
authors.forename: Fabio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Maggi
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Giordano
authors.forename: Lorenzo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bonomo
mesh_terms: D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; D006801:Humans; D009164:Mycobacterium Infections / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography / Q000379:methods*; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods*; D014376:Tuberculosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000382:microbiology
chemical_list: D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18