title: Feasibility of 18F-FDG PET as a noninvasive diagnostic tool of muscle denervation: a preliminary study.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to confirm glucose hypermetabolism in denervated muscle and investigate the feasibility of (18)F-FDG PET scanning for the detection of muscle denervation.
  
  
  METHODS
  A sciatic neuropathy model in rats was created by nerve resection of the left sciatic nerve and sham operation on the other side. Eight days after denervation, small-animal PET/CT scans of the hindlimbs were acquired. Muscle denervation was confirmed by electrophysiologic and histologic study.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All rats showed increased (18)F-FDG uptake in the muscles of the left (denervated) lower legs. The calculated maximum lesion-to-normal counts ratio of the left lower leg anterolateral (left, 11.02 ± 2.08; right, 1.81 ± 0.40, n = 6, P < 0.01) and posterior (left, 9.81 ± 4.58; right, 1.87 ± 0.44, n = 6, P < 0.01) compartment were significantly increased. The electrophysiologic and histologic study verified muscle denervation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Glucose hypermetabolism in muscle denervation is an obvious phenomenon. (18)F-FDG PET scanning can be used to visualize muscle denervation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, South Korea shiuk.lee@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Seung Hak
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, South Korea.
authors.forename: Byung-Mo
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Oh
authors.affiliation: Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, South Korea shiuk.lee@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Gangpyo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Department of Nuclear Medicine, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, South Korea; and.
authors.forename: Hongyoon
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.affiliation: Department of Nuclear Medicine, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, South Korea; and.
authors.forename: Gi Jeong
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Cheon
authors.affiliation: Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Seoul National University Boramae Medical Center, Seoul, South Korea shiuk.lee@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Shi-Uk
authors.initials: SU
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004594:Electrophysiology; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; D005947:Glucose / Q000378:metabolism*; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D009121:Muscle Denervation; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography / Q000379:methods; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012584:Sciatic Nerve / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods
chemical_list: D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; D005947:Glucose
keywords: 18F-FDG; muscle denervations; positron emission tomography; sciatic neuropathies