title: Association of linear ¹⁸F-sodium fluoride accumulation in femoral arteries as a measure of diffuse calcification with cardiovascular risk factors: a PET/CT study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The aim of this study was to correlate linear (18)F-sodium fluoride accumulation in the femoral arteries as a measure of diffuse mineral deposition in medial elastocalcinosis with cardiovascular risk factors (RFs) and calcified plaque burden (CPB).
  
  
  RESULTS
  In this study, 409 patients were examined by (18)F-sodium fluoride positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT). Tracer accumulation was analyzed both qualitatively and semiquantitatively by measuring the target-to-background ratio, and compared with cardiovascular RFs and CPB. Linear (18)F-sodium fluoride accumulation was observed in 159 (38.9%) patients and correlated significantly with age (P < .0001), hypertension (P < .0001), hypercholesterolemia (P = .0003), diabetes (P = .0003), history of smoking (P = .0007), prior cardiovascular events (P = .03), and CPB (P < .0001). The prevalence of linear tracer uptake increased as the number of cardiovascular RFs increased (P < .0001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Linear (18)F-sodium fluoride uptake in the femoral arteries (1) provides a measure of diffuse mineral deposition, (2) demonstrates a highly significant correlation with cardiovascular RFs and CPB, and (3) is found to accumulate more frequently in patients with a high-risk profile for cardiovascular events. (18)F-sodium fluoride PET/CT may become a unique tool for in vivo visualization and quantification of ongoing calcification in large arteries.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nuclear Medicine, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Tido
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Janssen
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bannas
authors.forename: Jochen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Herrmann
authors.forename: Simon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Veldhoen
authors.forename: Jasmin D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Busch
authors.forename: András
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Treszl
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Münster
authors.forename: Janos
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mester
authors.forename: Thorsten
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Derlin
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002114:Calcinosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D048909:Diabetes Complications / Q000175:diagnosis; D005260:Female; D005263:Femoral Artery / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000378:metabolism*; D005462:Fluorine Radioisotopes / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D006801:Humans; D006937:Hypercholesterolemia / Q000150:complications; D006973:Hypertension / Q000150:complications; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D064847:Multimodal Imaging; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography; D015995:Prevalence; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012307:Risk Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects; D012969:Sodium Fluoride / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D005462:Fluorine Radioisotopes; D012969:Sodium Fluoride