PET-based imaging with 18F-FDG and 18F-NaF to assess inflammation and microcalcification in atherosclerosis and other vascular and thrombotic disorders

Abstract

Positron emission tomography (PET) imaging with18 F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) repre-sents a method of detecting and characterizing arterial wall inflammation, with potential applications in the early assessment of vascular disorders such as atherosclerosis. By portraying early-stage molecular changes, FDG-PET findings have previously been shown to correlate with atherosclerosis progression. In addition, recent studies have suggested that microcalcification revealed by18 F-sodium fluoride (NaF) may be more sensitive at detecting atherogenic changes compared to FDG-PET. In this review, we summarize the roles of FDG and NaF in the assessment of atherosclerosis and discuss the role of global assessment in quantification of the vascular disease burden. Further-more, we will review the emerging applications of FDG-PET in various vascular disorders, including pulmonary embolism, as well as inflammatory and infectious vascular diseases.