title: Autoimmune pancreatitis: whole-body 18F-FDG PET/CT findings.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The study aimed to investigate the function of (18)F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography ((18)F-FDG PET/CT) in diagnosing of autoimmune pancreatitis (AIP) and whole-body evaluation.
  
  
  METHODS
  Seven AIP patients who underwent (18)F-FDG PET/CT systemic examination in our hospital from August 2010 to March 2012 were analyzed retrospectively. Systemic PET/CT routine scanning and pancreatic delayed scanning were performed in all patients.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean age of 7 AIP patients (6 male and 1 female) was 54.2 years (range from 42 to 71 years). The pancreas showed diffuse enlargement in 6 cases, and segmental enlargement in 1 case. Fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) uptake was increased in diseased region. The maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax) was 4.38 ± 0.90 and increased to 5.31 ± 1.08 after delayed scanning, of which small amounts of inflammatory exudate around pancreas was observed in 4 cases. Extrapancreatic lesions (EPLs) were observed in all 7 cases: lymphadenectasis (n = 5), lymphadenectasis with increased FDG uptake (n = 4); associated sialosis with metabolism enlargement (n = 4); associated cholangitis (n = 4); associated interstitial pneumonia (n = 3); inverted "V" shaped high FDG uptake foci in prostate (n = 5).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  AIP is a systemic disease. (18)F-FDG PET/CT can exhibit the characteristics of AIP pancreatic lesions, and also better reflect the changes and metabolic characteristics of extrapancreatic organs. It plays a distinct role in diagnosis, differentiating of AIP and whole-body evaluation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nuclear Medicine, Changhai Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Jian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Chengwei
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Shao
authors.forename: Jianhua
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Chao
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.forename: Changjing
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Zuo
authors.forename: Gaofeng
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Bin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Cui
authors.forename: Aisheng
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dong
authors.forename: Qinghua
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Lingshan
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Kong
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D005260:Female; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D064847:Multimodal Imaging; D010195:Pancreatitis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000276:immunology; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D012189:Retrospective Studies
chemical_list: D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18