title: F-18 sodium fluoride PET/CT does not effectively image myocardial inflammation due to suspected cardiac sarcoidosis.
abstract: Sarcoidosis is an inflammatory disorder of unknown etiology that can involve the heart. While effective in imaging cardiac sarcoidosis, F-18 fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) PET/CT often shows non-specific myocardial uptake. F-18 sodium fluoride (NaF) has been used to image inflammation in coronary artery plaques and has low background myocardial uptake. Here, we evaluated whether F-18 NaF can image myocardial inflammation due to clinically suspected cardiac sarcoidosis.
  
  
  
  We performed a single institution pilot study testing if F-18 NaF PET/CT can detect myocardial inflammation in patients with suspected cardiac sarcoidosis. Patients underwent cardiac PET/CT with F-18 FDG as part of their routine care and subsequently received an F-18 NaF PET/CT scan.
  
  
  
  Three patients underwent F-18 FDG and F-18 NaF imaging. In all patients, there was F-18 FDG uptake consistent with cardiac sarcoidosis. The F-18 NaF PET/CT scans showed no myocardial uptake.
  
  
  
  In this small preliminary study, PET/CT scan using F-18 NaF does not appear to detect myocardial inflammation caused by suspected cardiac sarcoidosis.
authors.affiliation: Nuclear Cardiology Laboratory, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, 622 W 168th Street, PH 10-203, New York, NY, 10032, USA. rlweinbe@med.umich.edu.|Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, University of Michigan Health System, Cardiovascular Center Room 2713, 1500 E Medical Center Dr SPC 5853, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109-5853, USA. rlweinbe@med.umich.edu.
authors.forename: Richard L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Weinberg
authors.affiliation: Nuclear Cardiology Laboratory, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, 622 W 168th Street, PH 10-203, New York, NY, 10032, USA.
authors.forename: Rachelle
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Morgenstern
authors.affiliation: Nuclear Cardiology Laboratory, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, 622 W 168th Street, PH 10-203, New York, NY, 10032, USA.
authors.forename: Albert
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: DeLuca
authors.affiliation: Nuclear Cardiology Laboratory, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, 622 W 168th Street, PH 10-203, New York, NY, 10032, USA.
authors.forename: Jennifer
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Nuclear Cardiology Laboratory, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, 622 W 168th Street, PH 10-203, New York, NY, 10032, USA.
authors.forename: Sabahat
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bokhari
mesh_terms: D005462:Fluorine Radioisotopes; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009205:Myocarditis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D010865:Pilot Projects; D000072078:Positron Emission Tomography Computed Tomography / Q000379:methods*; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D012507:Sarcoidosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D012969:Sodium Fluoride
chemical_list: D005462:Fluorine Radioisotopes; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; D012969:Sodium Fluoride
keywords: Cardiac PET; Cardiac inflammation; Cardiac sarcoidosis; F-18 fluorodeoxyglucose; F-18 sodium fluoride; PET/CT