title: Brain PET metabolic abnormalities in a case of varicella-zoster virus encephalitis.
abstract: The role of brain 18F-FDG PET in the diagnostic evaluation of encephalitis has been recently suggested, especially in limbic encephalitis, but descriptions are mainly limited to small case reports. However, the evaluation of cerebral metabolism by 18F-FDG PET has never been described for varicella-zoster virus encephalitis. We report the first case of varicella-zoster virus encephalitis in which 18F-FDG PET revealed brain metabolic abnormalities. Brain metabolic PET imaging was analyzed by comparing the patient's brain 18F-FDG PET scans to that of 12 healthy subjects. Compared with healthy subjects, significant hypometabolism and hypermetabolism were found and evolved over time with treatment.
authors.affiliation: From the *Service de Médecine Interne, Post-urgences et Thérapeutique, and †Service Central de Biophysique et Médecine Nucléaire, Hôpital de la Timone, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Marseille; and ‡Centre Européen de Recherche en Imagerie Médicale, Faculté de Médecine Timone, Aix-Marseille Université, Marseille, France.
authors.forename: Benjamin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Coiffard
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Guedj
authors.forename: Aurélie
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Daumas
authors.forename: Pierre
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Leveque
authors.forename: Patrick
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Villani
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001921:Brain / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D020804:Encephalitis, Varicella Zoster / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging