title: Role of18F-FDG PET in demonstrating disease burden in patients with tuberculous meningitis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study the role of18fluoro-deoxy glucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (18F-FDG PET/CT) scan in documenting the disease burden in patients with tuberculous meningitis (TBM), and compare these findings with conventional imaging and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).
  
  
  METHODS
  Ten patients with definite TBM were prospectively recruited. The severity of TBM was graded into stage I to III. The patients were subjected to whole body18F-FDG PET/CT imaging and MRI brain.18F-FDG PET/CT results were compared with the findings of brain MRI and other convectional imaging modalities (ultrasonography of abdomen and chest radiograph).
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were ten patients with TBM whose median age was 27 (14-55) years, and the median duration of illness was 4 (0.5-8.0) months. Two patients were in stage I, six in stage II, and two in stage III meningitis.18F-FDG PET/CT confirmed the cranial MRI findings in six patients, revealed additional brain lesion in one and did not detect the existing MRI lesions in three patients.18F-FDG PET/CT however detected additional lesions in vertebrae, spinal cord and lymph nodes which were not seen on the conventional imaging.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  18F-FDG PET/CT has a complementary role to MRI for detection of cranial lesions and is more sensitive in detecting the extra cranial tuberculosis burden in the patients with TBM.
authors: Department of Nuclear Medicine, Sanjay Gandhi PGI Lucknow, India.
authors: Sanjay
authors: S
authors: Gambhir
authors: Department of Neurology, Sanjay Gandhi PGI Lucknow, India.
authors: Mritunjai
authors: M
authors: Kumar
authors: Department of Nuclear Medicine, Sanjay Gandhi PGI Lucknow, India.
authors: Mudalsha
authors: M
authors: Ravina
authors: Department of Neurology, Sanjay Gandhi PGI Lucknow, India.
authors: Sanjeev Kumar
authors: SK
authors: Bhoi
authors: Department of Neurology, Sanjay Gandhi PGI Lucknow, India.
authors: Jayantee
authors: J
authors: Kalita
authors: Department of Neurology, Sanjay Gandhi PGI Lucknow, India. Electronic address: drukmisra@rediffmail.com.
authors: U K
authors: UK
authors: Misra
mesh_terms: D000005:Abdomen / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001921:Brain / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D017281:Cost of Illness; D005260:Female; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; D006801:Humans; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D000072078:Positron Emission Tomography Computed Tomography; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013902:Radiography, Thoracic; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D014390:Tuberculosis, Meningeal / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D014463:Ultrasonography; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18
keywords: Imaging; MRI; PET scan; Pet; Tuberculosis; Tuberculous meningitis