title: [¹⁸F]FDG-PET/CT in patients affected by retroperitoneal fibrosis: a bicentric experience.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of our study was to assess the feasibility and usefulness of 2-[(18)F]-fluoro-2-deoxy-D: -glucose positron emission tomography computed tomography ([(18)F]FDG-PET/CT) in patients affected by retroperitoneal fibrosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  We retrospectively evaluated 25 patients studied in two centers: 18 underwent [(18)F]FDG-PET/CT as initial evaluation, three during follow-up, three during steroid therapy, and one to re-evaluate the disease. Among the group who underwent initial evaluation, ten underwent a second [(18)F]FDG-PET/CT after steroid therapy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  [(18)F]FDG-PET/CT was positive in 18 patients and negative in seven. Among the ten patients who underwent a second study after steroid therapy, six showed complete metabolic response, three partial response, and one no significant maximum standardized uptake value (SUV(max)) reduction.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our preliminary results show that [(18)F]FDG-PET/CT is feasible and suitable for evaluating retroperitoneal fibrosis and is useful in assessing therapy response. Larger studies are desirable to confirm these findings and to determine the appropriate position of [(18)F]FDG-PET/CT in the diagnostic flow chart for this disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nuclear Medicine, University of Brescia and Spedali Civili di Brescia, P.le Spedali Civili, 1, 25123 Brescia, Italy. francesco.bertagna@spedalicivili.brescia.it
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Bertagna
authors.forename: Giorgio
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Treglia
authors.forename: Lucia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Leccisotti
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bosio
authors.forename: Federica
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Motta
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Giordano
authors.forename: Raffaele
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Giubbini
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D064847:Multimodal Imaging; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D012185:Retroperitoneal Fibrosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000628:therapy; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
chemical_list: D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18