title: (18)F-FDG PET in the evaluation of acuity of deep vein thrombosis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  F-FDG PET has been used for vascular disease, but its role in deep vein thrombosis (DVT) remains prospectively unexplored.
  
  
  METHODS
  Whole-body F-FDG PET/CT scans were performed in patients 1 to 10 weeks after onset of symptomatic DVT (n = 12) and in control subjects without DVT (n = 24). The metabolic activity (SUVmax) of thrombosed and contralateral nonthrombosed vein segments was determined. The sensitivity and specificity of F-FDG PET/CT for the diagnosis of DVT were determined by receiver operating characteristic curve analyses. In 2 patients with DVT, changes in the metabolic activity of thrombosed vein segments in serial F-FDG PET scans.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The metabolic activity in thrombosed veins [SUVmax, 2.41 (0.75)] was visually appreciable and significantly higher than in nonthrombosed veins in either the contralateral extremity of patients with DVT [SUVmax, 1.09 (0.25), P = 0.007] or control subjects [1.21 (0.22), P < 0.001]. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve for SUVmax was 0.9773 (P < 0.001), indicating excellent accuracy. An SUVmax threshold of greater than 1.645 was 87.5% sensitive and 100% specific for DVT. Metabolic activity in thrombosed veins correlated significantly with time from DVT symptom onset (decrease in SUVmax of 0.02/d, P < 0.05). Best-fit-line analyses suggested that approximately 84 to 91 days after acute DVT, the maximum metabolic activity of thrombosed veins would return to normal levels.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  F-FDG PET/CT is accurate for detecting acute symptomatic, proximal DVT. Metabolic activity in thrombosed veins decreases with time, suggesting that F-FDG PET may be helpful in assessing the age of the clot.
authors.affiliation: Division of General Internal Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84132, USA.
authors.forename: Matthew T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Rondina
authors.forename: Uyen T
authors.initials: UT
authors.lastname: Lam
authors.forename: Robert C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Pendleton
authors.forename: Larry W
authors.initials: LW
authors.lastname: Kraiss
authors.forename: Nathan
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Wanner
authors.forename: Guy A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Zimmerman
authors.forename: John M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Hoffman
authors.forename: Christopher
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Hanrahan
authors.forename: Kenneth
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Boucher
authors.forename: Paul E
authors.initials: PE
authors.lastname: Christian
authors.forename: Regan I
authors.initials: RI
authors.lastname: Butterfield
authors.forename: Kathryn A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Morton
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D005260:Female; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D020246:Venous Thrombosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18