title: Subclinical seizures as a pitfall in 18F-FDG PET imaging of temporal lobe epilepsy.
abstract: A 61-year-old man with history of heroin abuse, hepatitis B, hepatitis C, and hypertension was evaluated for seizures. MRI findings were concerning for temporal epilepsy. A brain 18F-FDG PET study showed a hypermetabolic focus in the left temporal lobe, although the patient was asymptomatic during the scan. Later review of electroencephalography recordings revealed a subclinical seizure during imaging. A whole-body 18F-FDG PET scan performed 4 days later for cancer screening purposes, during which the electroencephalography tracings were normal, showed no abnormal metabolic activity in the brain.
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Nuclear Medicine, Veterans Administration Greater Los Angeles Health Care System, Los Angeles, CA.
authors.forename: Bashir Akhavan
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Tafti
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mandelkern
authors.forename: Gholam Reza
authors.initials: GR
authors.lastname: Berenji
mesh_terms: D004569:Electroencephalography; D004828:Epilepsies, Partial / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D004833:Epilepsy, Temporal Lobe / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D013702:Temporal Lobe / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18