Pet imaging of 18F-FDG, 11C-methionine, 11C-flumazenil, and 11C-4DST in progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy

Abstract

The use of positron emission tomography (PET) imaging in progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) has rarely been reported. We herein report a set of PET images in a 63-year-old patient with PML. In PML lesions, the uptake of 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose, 11C-methionine, 11C-flumazenil, and [methyl-11C]4’-thiothymidine was decreased, increased, decreased, and unchanged, respectively. These results suggest that glucose metabolism decreased, protein synthesis increased, neuronal integrity decreased, and the DNA synthesis and cellular proliferation of host cells were not activated in PML lesions. These results may reflect very little infiltration by inflammatory cells and active infection with JC virus in this case.