title: [18F]FDG-PET/CT for the diagnosis of patients with fever of unknown origin.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The diagnosis of patients with fever of unknown origin (FUO) remains a challenging medical problem. We aimed to assess the diagnostic contribution of 18-fluoro-2-deoxy-d-glucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET)/computed tomography (CT) for the evaluation of FUO.
  
  
  METHODS
  We performed a 4-year retrospective single-center study of all hospitalized patients that underwent FDG-PET/CT for evaluation of FUO. The final diagnosis of the febrile disease was based on clinical, microbiological, radiological and pathological data available at the final follow-up. Predictors for a contributory exam were sought.
  
  
  RESULTS
  One hundred and twelve patients underwent FDG-PET/CT for the investigation of FUO in the years 2008-2012 and were included in the study. A final diagnosis was determined in 83 patients (74%) and included: infectious disease in 49 patients (43%), non-infectious inflammatory disease in 17 patients (16%), malignancies in 15 patients (14%), other diagnoses in 2 patients (1.7%), FUO resolved with no diagnosis and no evidence of disease during a 6-month follow-up in 23 patients (20%), and death with fever and with no diagnosis in 6 patients (5%). Seventy-four FDG-PET/CT studies (66%) were considered clinically helpful and contributory to diagnosis (46% positive contributory value and 20.5% contributory to exclusion of diagnosis). PET/CT had a sensitivity of 72.2%, a specificity of 57.5%, a positive predictive value (PPV) of 74.2% and a negative predictive value (NPV) of 53.5%. On multivariable analysis, significant predictors of a positive PET/CT contributory to diagnosis were a short duration of fever and male gender.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  PET/CT is an important diagnostic tool for patients with FUO.
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Medicine E, Institute of Hematology, Davidoff Cancer Center, Rabin Medical Center, Petah-Tikva; Sackler School of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel and Infectious Disease Unit, Department of Nuclear Medicine, Beilinson Hospital, Rabin Medical Center, Petah-Tikva From the Department of Medicine E, Institute of Hematology, Davidoff Cancer Center, Rabin Medical Center, Petah-Tikva; Sackler School of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel and Infectious Disease Unit, Department of Nuclear Medicine, Beilinson Hospital, Rabin Medical Center, Petah-Tikva From the Department of Medicine E, Institute of Hematology, Davidoff Cancer Center, Rabin Medical Center, Petah-Tikva; Sackler School of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel and Infectious Disease Unit, Department of Nuclear Medicine, Beilinson Hospital, Rabin Medical Center, Petah-Tikva.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gafter-Gvili
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Medicine E, Institute of Hematology, Davidoff Cancer Center, Rabin Medical Center, Petah-Tikva; Sackler School of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel and Infectious Disease Unit, Department of Nuclear Medicine, Beilinson Hospital, Rabin Medical Center, Petah-Tikva From the Department of Medicine E, Institute of Hematology, Davidoff Cancer Center, Rabin Medical Center, Petah-Tikva; Sackler School of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel and Infectious Disease Unit, Department of Nuclear Medicine, Beilinson Hospital, Rabin Medical Center, Petah-Tikva.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Raibman
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Medicine E, Institute of Hematology, Davidoff Cancer Center, Rabin Medical Center, Petah-Tikva; Sackler School of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel and Infectious Disease Unit, Department of Nuclear Medicine, Beilinson Hospital, Rabin Medical Center, Petah-Tikva From the Department of Medicine E, Institute of Hematology, Davidoff Cancer Center, Rabin Medical Center, Petah-Tikva; Sackler School of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel and Infectious Disease Unit, Department of Nuclear Medicine, Beilinson Hospital, Rabin Medical Center, Petah-Tikva.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Grossman
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Medicine E, Institute of Hematology, Davidoff Cancer Center, Rabin Medical Center, Petah-Tikva; Sackler School of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel and Infectious Disease Unit, Department of Nuclear Medicine, Beilinson Hospital, Rabin Medical Center, Petah-Tikva From the Department of Medicine E, Institute of Hematology, Davidoff Cancer Center, Rabin Medical Center, Petah-Tikva; Sackler School of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel and Infectious Disease Unit, Department of Nuclear Medicine, Beilinson Hospital, Rabin Medical Center, Petah-Tikva.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Avni
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Medicine E, Institute of Hematology, Davidoff Cancer Center, Rabin Medical Center, Petah-Tikva; Sackler School of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel and Infectious Disease Unit, Department of Nuclear Medicine, Beilinson Hospital, Rabin Medical Center, Petah-Tikva From the Department of Medicine E, Institute of Hematology, Davidoff Cancer Center, Rabin Medical Center, Petah-Tikva; Sackler School of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel and Infectious Disease Unit, Department of Nuclear Medicine, Beilinson Hospital, Rabin Medical Center, Petah-Tikva.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Paul
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Medicine E, Institute of Hematology, Davidoff Cancer Center, Rabin Medical Center, Petah-Tikva; Sackler School of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel and Infectious Disease Unit, Department of Nuclear Medicine, Beilinson Hospital, Rabin Medical Center, Petah-Tikva From the Department of Medicine E, Institute of Hematology, Davidoff Cancer Center, Rabin Medical Center, Petah-Tikva; Sackler School of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel and Infectious Disease Unit, Department of Nuclear Medicine, Beilinson Hospital, Rabin Medical Center, Petah-Tikva.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Leibovici
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Medicine E, Institute of Hematology, Davidoff Cancer Center, Rabin Medical Center, Petah-Tikva; Sackler School of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel and Infectious Disease Unit, Department of Nuclear Medicine, Beilinson Hospital, Rabin Medical Center, Petah-Tikva.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Tadmor
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Medicine E, Institute of Hematology, Davidoff Cancer Center, Rabin Medical Center, Petah-Tikva; Sackler School of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel and Infectious Disease Unit, Department of Nuclear Medicine, Beilinson Hospital, Rabin Medical Center, Petah-Tikva From the Department of Medicine E, Institute of Hematology, Davidoff Cancer Center, Rabin Medical Center, Petah-Tikva; Sackler School of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel and Infectious Disease Unit, Department of Nuclear Medicine, Beilinson Hospital, Rabin Medical Center, Petah-Tikva.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Groshar
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Medicine E, Institute of Hematology, Davidoff Cancer Center, Rabin Medical Center, Petah-Tikva; Sackler School of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel and Infectious Disease Unit, Department of Nuclear Medicine, Beilinson Hospital, Rabin Medical Center, Petah-Tikva From the Department of Medicine E, Institute of Hematology, Davidoff Cancer Center, Rabin Medical Center, Petah-Tikva; Sackler School of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel and Infectious Disease Unit, Department of Nuclear Medicine, Beilinson Hospital, Rabin Medical Center, Petah-Tikva.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Bernstine
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D005335:Fever of Unknown Origin / Q000209:etiology*; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D007239:Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis; D007249:Inflammation / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D064847:Multimodal Imaging / Q000379:methods; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography / Q000379:methods; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18