The Evaluation of Lupus Myocarditis with 13N-Ammonia and 18F-FDG PET.

Although the use of (13)N-ammonia and (18)F-FDG PET shows great promise as a tool for diagnosing heart involvement in inflammatory diseases, it can be equally powerful for following disease progression and treatment outcome. We describe a case in which (18)F-FDG PET was effective in following up the treatment outcome of lupus myocarditis.

The Evaluation of Cardiac Sarcoidosis with 18F-FDG PET.

Cardiac involvement in sarcoidosis is associated with poor prognosis. (18)F-FDG PET can detect the presence of cardiac sarcoidosis, assess disease activity, and serve as a means to monitor treatment response in patients with cardiac sarcoidosis.

Endovenous Laser Ablation of Perforating Veins: Feasibility, Safety, and Occlusion Rate Using a 1,470-nm Laser and Bare-Tip Fiber.

Purpose: To describe technical feasibility and safety of perforating vein ablation with the use of a 1,470-nm laser and bare-tip fiber in the management of chronic venous insufficiency (CVI).

Materials And Methods: A total of 171 perforating veins were ablated in 101 limbs of 87 patients (mean age, 54.4 y; 79% female).

Implications of unexpected diffuse lung uptake on a 99mTc-sestimibi parathyroid scan.

Diffuse (99m)Tc-sestimibi uptake in the lungs is a sign of serious pathology and merits further work-up. We present a case in which diffuse lung uptake was incidentally found on a parathyroid scan.

Glucose metabolism gene expression patterns and tumor uptake of ¹⁸F-fluorodeoxyglucose after radiation treatment.

Purpose: To investigate whether radiation treatment influences the expression of glucose metabolism genes and compromises the potential use of (18)F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) as a tool to monitor the early response of head and neck cancer xenografts to radiation therapy (RT).

Methods And Materials: Low passage head and neck squamous cancer cells (UT14) were injected to the flanks of female nu/nu mice to generate xenografts. After tumors reached a size of 500 mm(3) they were treated with either sham RT or 15 Gy in 1 fraction.

Detection of Aberrant Right Subclavian Artery by PET/CT.

An aberrant right subclavian artery can be diagnosed by PET/CT, as demonstrated in this case of a 70-y-old man undergoing PET/CT for staging of squamous cell carcinoma of the right lung. It is important to report this finding during the evaluation of oncologic patients, to prevent severe complications that may arise from various oncologic interventions.

Time sensitivity factor of single pulmonary nodule: a new cancer characteristic metabolic parameter by (18) F-FDG PET.

Objective: To calculate the time sensitivity factor (S) for discriminating the solitary pulmonary nodule (SPN) by FDG PET at different time points.

Methods: The multiple time-point FDG PET images from 41 patients for evaluating SPN seen on chest X-ray or CT were prospectively analyzed to calculate and evaluate S against the gold standard of tissue histology (n = 38) or long term clinicoradiographic follow-up (n = 3). The maximal standardized uptake values (SUV) at the 3 hourly time points were measured.

Use of SPECT/CT with 99mTc-MDP bone scintigraphy to diagnose sacral insufficiency fracture.

Bone SPECT/CT offers additional information on pelvic insufficiency fractures, especially when there is incomplete formation of the H-sign on planar bone scanning.

Early treatment response monitoring using 2-deoxy-2-[ 18F]fluoro-D-glucose positron emission tomography imaging during fractionated radiotherapy of head neck cancer xenografts.

Background: To determine the optimal timing and analytic method of 2-deoxy-2-[(18)F]fluoro-D-glucose positron emission tomography (PET) imaging during fractionated radiotherapy (RT) to predict tumor control.

Methods: Ten head neck squamous cell carcinoma xenografts derived from the UT-14-SCC cell line were irradiated with 50 Gy at 2 Gy per day over 5 weeks. Dynamic PET scans were acquired over 70 minutes at baseline (week 0) and weekly for seven weeks.

MicroPET/CT imaging of an orthotopic model of human glioblastoma multiforme and evaluation of pulsed low-dose irradiation.

Purpose: Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is an aggressive tumor that typically causes death due to local progression. To assess a novel low-dose radiotherapy regimen for treating GBM, we developed an orthotopic murine model of human GBM and evaluated in vivo treatment efficacy using micro-positron-emission tomography/computed tomography (microPET/CT) tumor imaging.

Methods: Orthotopic GBM xenografts were established in nude mice and treated with standard 2-Gy fractionation or 10 0.

Model-based radiation dose correction for yttrium-90 microsphere treatment of liver tumors with central necrosis.

Purpose: The objectives of this study were to model and calculate the absorbed fraction ϕ of energy emitted from yttrium-90 ((90)Y) microsphere treatment of necrotic liver tumors.

Methods And Materials: The tumor necrosis model was proposed for the calculation of ϕ over the spherical shell region. Two approaches, the semianalytic method and the probabilistic method, were adopted.

FDG positron emission tomography/computed tomography scan may identify mantle cell lymphoma patients with unusually favorable outcome.

Objective: Patients diagnosed with mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) have generally poor prognosis, but a minority have a longer survival. There are no markers to identify this group and no generally established prognostic index for MCL. Our objective was to assess the prognostic value of the staging FDG PET/computed tomography (CT) scan.

Incremental value of integrated FDG-PET/CT in evaluating indeterminate solitary pulmonary nodule for malignancy.

Objectives: The objective of this study was to evaluate the increased diagnostic benefit of integrated positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) interpretation in evaluating solitary pulmonary nodules for malignancy.

Methods: One hundred seventeen patients (67 men and 50 women; mean age +/- SD, 61.7 +/- 13.

Early dose response to yttrium-90 microsphere treatment of metastatic liver cancer by a patient-specific method using single photon emission computed tomography and positron emission tomography.

Purpose: To evaluate a patient-specific single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT)-based method of dose calculation for treatment planning of yttrium-90 ((90)Y) microsphere selective internal radiotherapy (SIRT).

Methods And Materials: Fourteen consecutive (90)Y SIRTs for colorectal liver metastasis were retrospectively analyzed. Absorbed dose to tumor and normal liver tissue was calculated by partition methods with two different tumor/normal liver vascularity ratios: an average 3:1 and a patient-specific ratio derived from pretreatment technetium-99m macroaggregated albumin SPECT.

Prospective evaluation of aggressive medical therapy for atherosclerotic renal artery stenosis, with renal artery stenting reserved for previously injured heart, brain, or kidney.

Sixty-six patients with atherosclerotic renal artery stenosis (RAS) and serum creatinine < or =2.0 mg/dl were treated with antihypertensive therapy, a statin, and aspirin. Renal stenting was reserved for patients with injuries to the heart, brain, or kidneys.