title: Identification of inflamed aortic plaque in conventional fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography myocardial viability studies.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  It has been shown that (18)F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography (PET) is useful in identifying inflamed plaque in major arteries. This study evaluated the feasibility of inflamed plaque detection with routinely acquired cardiac FDG-PET viability studies in patients with severe coronary artery disease and left ventricular dysfunction.
  
  
  METHODS
  Clinically indicated myocardial viability scans using FDG and PET combined with computed tomography from 103 patients were retrospectively analyzed for FDG uptake in the proximal, ascending, and descending thoracic aorta. Aortic uptake was graded on the basis of peak and mean target-to-background ratio (TBR): grade 0, < 1; grade 1, 1.01-1.49; grade 2, 1.5-1.99; and grade 3, > 2.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 103 patients, 71 (68.9%) had a history of myocardial infarction, 88 (85.4%) were on statins, and 70 (68%) were on angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors. Increased FDG uptake (mean TBR grade 1-3) was seen in 79 of 103 patients (77%), and grade 3 aortic uptake based on peak TBR was found in 12 of 103 patients (12%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Detection of inflamed atherosclerotic plaque in the aorta with conventional FDG viability scans is feasible. The rate of very positive uptake in this population of ischemic heart disease patients is low, possibly reflecting aggressive secondary risk factor modification including statin and ACE inhibitor use.
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, University of Ottawa Heart Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Yingwei
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Nina
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ghosh
authors.forename: Girish
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Dwivedi
authors.forename: Benjamin J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Chow
authors.forename: Robert A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: deKemp
authors.forename: Jean
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: DaSilva
authors.forename: Ann
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.forename: Linda
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Garrard
authors.forename: Rob S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Beanlands
authors.forename: Terrence D
authors.initials: TD
authors.lastname: Ruddy
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001011:Aorta / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D064847:Multimodal Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D058226:Plaque, Atherosclerotic / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014022:Tissue Survival; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D018487:Ventricular Dysfunction, Left / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*
chemical_list: D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18