Can Biomarkers and PET Imaging Predict Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Growth Rate?

Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is a life-threatening condition due to the risk of aneurysm growth and rupture. Biomarkers linked to AAA pathogenesis are attractive candidates for AAA diagnosis and prognosis. The aim of this study was to assess circulating biomarkers levels relationship with PET imaging positivity and their predictive value in AAA growth rate.

Positron Emission Tomography/Computed Tomography Predicts and Detects Complications After Endovascular Repair of Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms.

To assess if aortic 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) uptake on positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) could play a role in predicting complications after endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR). This study involved 2 cohorts of men with abdominal aortic aneurysm treated by EVAR: those who underwent a PET/CT scan before EVAR (n=17) and those who had a PET/CT during follow-up (n=34). Uptake of FDG was measured as the standardized uptake value (SUV).

F- FDG PET/CT joint assessment of early therapeutic response in rheumatoid arthritis patients treated with rituximab.

Background: F-FDG PET/CT has been proposed in the evaluation of the disease activity in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The goals of this study were to evaluate the reproducibility of the technique, to compare metabolic parameters to clinical, biological and ultrasonographic parameters before and after treatment and to evaluate whether the early metabolic response was related to the outcome. F- FDG PET/CT of the hands, wrists and knees was obtained in 15 patients with anti-TNFα refractory RA, at baseline and 16 weeks after treatment with rituximab.

Monitoring metabolic response using FDG PET-CT during targeted therapy for metastatic colorectal cancer.

Introduction: The introduction of targeted drugs has had a significant impact on the approach to assessing tumour response. These drugs often induce a rapid cytostatic effect associated with a less pronounced and slower tumoural volume reduction, thereby impairing the correlation between the absence of tumour shrinkage and the patient's unlikelihood of benefit. The aim of the study was to assess the predictive value of early metabolic response (mR) evaluation after one cycle, and its interlesional heterogeneity to a later metabolic and morphological response assessment performed after three cycles in metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) patients treated with combined sorafenib and capecitabine.

Endoscopic findings in case of incidental colonic uptake in PET-CT how to improve PET-CT specificity?

Unexpected colonic 18FDG focal uptakes (UCFU) in PET CT occur in 1.3-3.3% of cases in retrospective study and are often associated with significant colorectal findings in endoscopy, especially neoplastic lesions.

Gene expression study in positron emission tomography-positive abdominal aortic aneurysms identifies CCL18 as a potential biomarker for rupture risk.

Rupture of abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is a cause of significant mortality and morbidity in aging populations. Uptake of 18-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) detected by positron emission tomography (PET) is observed in the wall of 12% of AAA (A+), with most of them being symptomatic. We previously showed that the metabolically active areas displayed adventitial inflammation, medial degeneration and molecular alterations prefacing wall rupture.

Multifactorial relationship between 18F-fluoro-deoxy-glucose positron emission tomography signaling and biomechanical properties in unruptured aortic aneurysms.

Background: The relationship between biomechanical properties and biological activities in aortic aneurysms was investigated with finite element simulations and 18F-fluoro-deoxy-glucose (18F-FDG) positron emission tomography.

Methods And Results: The study included 53 patients (45 men) with aortic aneurysms, 47 infrarenal (abdominal aortic) and 6 thoracic (thoracic aortic), who had ≥1 18F-FDG positron emission tomography/computed tomography. During a 30-month period, more clinical events occurred in patients with increased 18F-FDG uptake on their last examination than in those without (5 of 18 [28%] versus 2 of 35 [6%]; P=0.

18F-FDG uptake assessed by PET/CT in abdominal aortic aneurysms is associated with cellular and molecular alterations prefacing wall deterioration and rupture.

Unlabelled: Rupture of abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs) leads to a significant morbidity and mortality in aging populations, and its prediction would be most beneficial to public health. Spots positive for uptake of (18)F-FDG detected by PET are found in 12% of AAA patients (PET+), who are most often symptomatic and at high rupture risk. Comparing the (18)F-FDG-positive site with a negative site from the same aneurysm and with samples collected from AAA patients with no (18)F-FDG uptake should allow the discrimination of biologic alterations that would help in identifying markers predictive of rupture.

Multimodality Staging of Lung Cancer.

Computed tomography (CT) is the primary noninvasive imaging modality for staging of non-small cell lung cancer. Magnetic resonance imaging compliments CT in tumor staging in specific situations. [(18)F]Fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/CT is useful in detecting additional regional nodal and distant metastatic sites of disease, thereby reducing the number of unnecessary surgeries.

Complementary Assessment of Abdominopelvic Disorders with PET/CT and MRI.

This article reviews the current performance and status of PET/CT and MR imaging in four different abdominopelvic malignancies: cervical, pancreatic, and rectal cancers and liver metastases, as well as in Crohn's disease. The authors discuss the complementary aspects of these imaging techniques to evaluate the nature of the lesion, its local extent, and distant spread. These disease conditions represent pertinent clinical models in which PET/MRI may, if and when available, constitute a powerful tool in the management of patients.