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18F-FDG PET/CT is a valuable tool for relapsing polychondritis diagnose and therapeutic response monitoring

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Abstract

Objectives

To retrospectively investigate the role of 18 F–fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (18F-FDG PET/CT) for the diagnosis and therapeutic response in relapsing polychondritis (RP) patients.

Methods

18F-FDG PET/CT findings were reviewed in six RP patients. The initial scans were performed for all patients, follow-up scans were performed during steroid therapy for five patients. Changes in the abnormal lesions and the maximal standard uptake value (SUVmax) were analyzed.

Results

The initial PET/CT scans revealed intense FDG uptake in the cartilages for all six patients. The lesions of abnormal FDG uptake were tracheal/bronchial cartilage (n = 4), costicartilage (n = 4), nasal cartilage (n = 3), cricoid cartilage (n = 3), auricular cartilage (n = 3), arytenoid cartilage (n = 3), thyroid cartilage (n = 2), hyoid cartilage (n = 1) and mediastinum lymph node (n = 1). The mean visual score and the mean SUVmax were 2.96 ± 0.20 and 4.10 ± 0.6. The intense uptake reduced or disappeared during steroid therapy for five patients, the mean visual score and the mean SUVmax were 1.58 ± 1.4 and 1.51 ± 1.4.

Conclusions

18F-FDG PET/CT enables the acquisition of both morphologic and glucose metabolic of the related cartilage structures. It plays a valuable role in assessing almost all cartilage and detecting RP, which is a better selection of a biopsy site as well as therapeutic response monitoring.

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank Yongfeng Luo for his assistance in proof reading of the present manuscript.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Respiratory Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, 151 Yanjiang Rd, Guangzhou, 510120, Guangdong Province, China

    Jinlin Wang, Shiyue Li, Yunxiang Zeng, Nuofu Zhang & Nanshan Zhong

  2. Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, 151 Yanjiang Rd, Guangzhou, 510120, Guangdong Province, China

    Ping Chen

  3. The State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Disease, 151 Yanjiang Rd, Guangzhou, 510120, Guangdong Province, China

    Jinlin Wang, Shiyue Li, Yunxiang Zeng, Nuofu Zhang & Nanshan Zhong

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  1. Jinlin Wang
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  2. Shiyue Li
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  3. Yunxiang Zeng
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  4. Ping Chen
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  5. Nuofu Zhang
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Correspondence to Shiyue Li.

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Wang, J., Li, S., Zeng, Y. et al. 18F-FDG PET/CT is a valuable tool for relapsing polychondritis diagnose and therapeutic response monitoring. Ann Nucl Med 28, 276–284 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12149-014-0805-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12149-014-0805-1

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