title: Incidental focal FDG uptake in heart is a lighthouse for considering cardiac screening.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Cardiac FDG uptake is known to show a variety of patterns under clinical fasting conditions. We hypothesized that focal FDG uptake in the heart (FUH) represents a sign of cardiac disease risk, especially in coronary artery disease (CAD).The aim of this study was to clarify the relationship between FUH and cardiac disease.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cases showing FUH were selected based on comments in diagnostic reports or identification on retrospective review. Quantitative analysis was performed using maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax), with regions of interest drawn over focal uptake areas in the heart as confirmed by PET/CT and in lateral side of the same slice showing focal FDG uptake.
  
  
  RESULTS
  For the 20 patients (11 men, 9 women) with confirmed FUH, coronary artery stenosis or history of treatment for coronary disease was present in 11 patients (55.0 %), and 2 patients showed apical hypertrophy. Mean SUVmax of FUH did not differ significantly between patients with confirmed cardiac disease and those with no evidence of cardiac disease (P = 0.78).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  FUH suggests a high likelihood of CAD in patients without myocardial symptoms. Cardiac screening or a check of the history of cardiac disease is thus worth considering when FUH is seen incidentally on FDG-PET/CT.
authors.affiliation: Division of Nuclear Medicine, Department of Radiology, National Center for Global Health and Medicine, 1-21-1 Toyama, Shinjyuku-ku, Tokyo, 162-8655, Japan. ryogominamimoto@yahoo.co.jp
authors.forename: Ryogo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Minamimoto
authors.forename: Miyako
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Morooka
authors.forename: Yoko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Miyata
authors.forename: Kimiteru
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ito
authors.forename: Momoko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Okasaki
authors.forename: Hisao
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hara
authors.forename: Osamu
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Okazaki
authors.forename: Masao
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Moroi
authors.forename: Kazuo
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kubota
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001692:Biological Transport; D005260:Female; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18 / Q000378:metabolism*; D006331:Heart Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D033162:Incidental Findings; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009206:Myocardium / Q000378:metabolism*; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
chemical_list: D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18