title: 18F-FDG PET/CT for the Diagnosis of Malignant and Infectious Complications After Solid Organ Transplantation.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Infection and malignancy represent two common complications after solid organ transplantation, which are often characterized by poorly specific clinical symptomatology. Herein, we have evaluated the role of18F-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose (FDG) positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) in this clinical setting.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty-eight consecutive patients who underwent FDG PET/CT after kidney, lung or heart transplantation were included in this retrospective analysis. Twelve patients underwent FDG PET/CT to strengthen or confirm a diagnostic suspicion of malignancies. The remaining 46 patients presented with unexplained inflammatory syndrome, fever of unknown origin (FUO), CMV or EBV seroconversion during post-transplant follow-up without conclusive conventional imaging. FDG PET/CT results were compared to histology or to the finding obtained during a clinical/imaging follow-up period of at least 6 months after PET/CT study.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Positive FDG PET/CT results were obtained in 18 (31 %) patients. In the remaining 40 (69 %) cases, FDG PET/CT was negative, showing exclusively a physiological radiotracer distribution. On the basis of a patient-based analysis, FDG PET/CT's sensitivity, specificity, PPV and NPV were respectively 78 %, 90 %, 78 % and 90 %, with a global accuracy of 86 %. FDG PET/CT was true positive in 14 patients with bacterial pneumonias (n = 4), pulmonary fungal infection (n = 1), histoplasmosis (n = 1), cutaneous abscess (n = 1), inflammatory disorder (sacroiliitis) (n = 1), lymphoma (n = 3) and NSCLC (n = 3). On the other hand, FDG PET/CT failed to detect lung bronchoalveolar adenocarcinoma, septicemia, endocarditis and graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), respectively, in four patients. FDG PET/CT contributed to adjusting the patient therapeutic strategy in 40 % of cases.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  FDG PET/CT emerges as a valuable technique to manage complications in the post-transplantation period. FDG PET/CT should be considered in patients with severe unexplained inflammatory syndrome or FUO and inconclusive conventional imaging or to discriminate active from silent lesions previously detected by conventional imaging particularly when malignancy is suspected.
authors.affiliation: Biophysics and Nuclear Medicine, Hautepierre Hospital, University Hospitals of Strasbourg, 1 Avenue Molière, Strasbourg, 67200 France.|Department of Nuclear Medicine, Haguenau Hospital, 64, avenue Prof. Rene Leriche, BP 40252, Haguenau, 67504 France.
authors.forename: Nastassja
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Muller
authors.affiliation: Pneumology, Nouvel Hôpital Civil, University Hospitals of Strasbourg, 1 Place de l'hôpital, Strasbourg, 67000 France.|EA 7293 Vascular and Tissular Stress in Transplantation and FMTS, Faculty of Medicine, Strasbourg, France.
authors.forename: Romain
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kessler
authors.affiliation: Nephrology, Nouvel Hôpital Civil, University Hospitals of Strasbourg, 1 Avenue Molière, Strasbourg, 67200 France.
authors.forename: Sophie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Caillard
authors.affiliation: Cardiology, Nouvel Hôpital Civil, University Hospitals of Strasbourg, 1 Place de l'hôpital, Strasbourg, 67000 France.
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Epailly
authors.affiliation: Biophysics and Nuclear Medicine, Hautepierre Hospital, University Hospitals of Strasbourg, 1 Avenue Molière, Strasbourg, 67200 France.|ICube, University of Strasbourg/CNRS (UMR 7357) and FMTS, Faculty of Medicine, Strasbourg, France.
authors.forename: Fabrice
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Hubelé
authors.affiliation: Biophysics and Nuclear Medicine, Hautepierre Hospital, University Hospitals of Strasbourg, 1 Avenue Molière, Strasbourg, 67200 France.
authors.forename: Céline
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Heimburger
authors.affiliation: Biophysics and Nuclear Medicine, Hautepierre Hospital, University Hospitals of Strasbourg, 1 Avenue Molière, Strasbourg, 67200 France.|ICube, University of Strasbourg/CNRS (UMR 7357) and FMTS, Faculty of Medicine, Strasbourg, France.
authors.forename: Izzie-Jacques
authors.initials: IJ
authors.lastname: Namer
authors.affiliation: Oncology and Hematology, Hautepierre Hospital, University Hospitals of Strasbourg, 1 Avenue Molière, Strasbourg, 67200 France.
authors.forename: Raoul
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Herbrecht
authors.affiliation: Biophysics and Nuclear Medicine, Hautepierre Hospital, University Hospitals of Strasbourg, 1 Avenue Molière, Strasbourg, 67200 France.|ICube, University of Strasbourg/CNRS (UMR 7357) and FMTS, Faculty of Medicine, Strasbourg, France.
authors.forename: Cyrille
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Blondet
authors.affiliation: Biophysics and Nuclear Medicine, Hautepierre Hospital, University Hospitals of Strasbourg, 1 Avenue Molière, Strasbourg, 67200 France.|ICube, University of Strasbourg/CNRS (UMR 7357) and FMTS, Faculty of Medicine, Strasbourg, France.
authors.forename: Alessio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Imperiale
keywords: FDG; Infection; Organ transplantation; PET; Post-transplant complication; Post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorders