title: Evolving role of FDG PET imaging in assessing joint disorders: a systematic review.
abstract: Assessing joint disorders has been a relatively recent and evolving application of 18F-2-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose (FDG) positron emission tomography (PET) imaging. FDG is taken up by inflammatory cells, particularly when they are active as part of an ongoing inflammatory process. Hence FDG PET has been employed to assess a wide array of arthritic disorders. FDG PET imaging has been investigated in various joint diseases for diagnostic purposes, treatment monitoring, and as a prognostic indicator as in other disorders. In some of the diseases the ancillary findings in FDG PET have provided important clues about the underlying pathophysiology and pathogenesis processes. While substantial promise has been demonstrated in a number of studies, it is clear that the potential utility of PET in this clinical realm far outweighs that which has been established to date.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, and Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
authors.forename: Kathleen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Carey
authors.forename: Babak
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Saboury
authors.forename: Sandip
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Basu
authors.forename: Alex
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Brothers
authors.forename: Alexis
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ogdie
authors.forename: Tom
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Werner
authors.forename: Drew A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Torigian
authors.forename: Abass
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Alavi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; D006801:Humans; D007592:Joint Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000628:therapy; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography / Q000379:methods*; D011379:Prognosis; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18