PET-Based Imaging with <sup>18</sup>F-FDG and <sup>18</sup>F-NaF to Assess Inflammation and Microcalcification in Atherosclerosis and Other Vascular and Thrombotic Disorders
William Y. Raynor,
Peter Sang Uk Park,
Austin J. Borja,
Yusha Sun,
Thomas J. Werner,
Sze Jia Ng,
Hui Chong Lau,
Poul Flemming Høilund-Carlsen,
Abass Alavi,
Mona-Elisabeth Revheim
Affiliations
William Y. Raynor
Department of Radiology, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, 3400 Spruce Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
Peter Sang Uk Park
Department of Radiology, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, 3400 Spruce Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
Austin J. Borja
Department of Radiology, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, 3400 Spruce Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
Yusha Sun
Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, 3400 Civic Center Boulevard, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
Thomas J. Werner
Department of Radiology, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, 3400 Spruce Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
Sze Jia Ng
Department of Medicine, Crozer-Chester Medical Center, Upland, PA 19013, USA
Hui Chong Lau
Department of Medicine, Crozer-Chester Medical Center, Upland, PA 19013, USA
Poul Flemming Høilund-Carlsen
Department of Nuclear Medicine, Odense University Hospital, 5000 Odense C, Denmark
Abass Alavi
Department of Radiology, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, 3400 Spruce Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
Mona-Elisabeth Revheim
Department of Radiology, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, 3400 Spruce Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
Positron emission tomography (PET) imaging with 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) represents 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 by 18F-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. Furthermore, we will review the emerging applications of FDG-PET in various vascular disorders, including pulmonary embolism, as well as inflammatory and infectious vascular diseases.
