Imaging infection and inflammation in children with 18F-FDG PET and 18F-FDG PET/CT

Abstract

The goal of this article is to delineate indications for 18F-FDG PET/CT pertaining to inflammation in the pediatric population, with emphasis on those that have been described in the literature. The limitations of 18F-FDG PET/CT in this type of evaluation are also described, and the importance of using as low a dose as feasible is discussed. After reading this article, the reader should be able to list several clinical situations in which 18F-FDG PET/CT may be appropriate, describe some limitations of 18F-FDG PET/CT, and explain why dose is particularly important in the pediatric population. © 2011 by the Society of Nuclear Medicine, Inc.