The Added Value of [<sup>18</sup>F]FDG PET/CT in the Management of Invasive Fungal Infections
Alfred O. Ankrah,
Dina Creemers-Schild,
Bart de Keizer,
Hans C. Klein,
Rudi A. J. O. Dierckx,
Thomas C. Kwee,
Lambert F. R. Span,
Pim A. de Jong,
Mike M. Sathekge,
Andor W. J. M. Glaudemans
Affiliations
Alfred O. Ankrah
Medical Imaging Center, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, 9700 AC Groningen, The Netherlands
Dina Creemers-Schild
Department of Internal Medicine, Groene Harte Hospital, 2803 HH Gouda, The Netherlands
Bart de Keizer
Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Utrecht University, University Medical Center Utrecht, 3508 GA Utrecht, The Netherlands
Hans C. Klein
Medical Imaging Center, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, 9700 AC Groningen, The Netherlands
Rudi A. J. O. Dierckx
Medical Imaging Center, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, 9700 AC Groningen, The Netherlands
Thomas C. Kwee
Medical Imaging Center, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, 9700 AC Groningen, The Netherlands
Lambert F. R. Span
Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Hematology, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, 9700 AC Groningen, The Netherlands
Pim A. de Jong
Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Utrecht University, University Medical Center Utrecht, 3508 GA Utrecht, The Netherlands
Mike M. Sathekge
Department of Nuclear Medicine, University of Pretoria, Steve Biko Academic Hospital, Pretoria 0001, South Africa
Andor W. J. M. Glaudemans
Medical Imaging Center, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, 9700 AC Groningen, The Netherlands
Anatomy-based imaging methods are the usual imaging methods used in assessing invasive fungal infections (IFIs). [18F]FDG PET/CT has also been used in the evaluation of IFIs. We assessed the added value of [18F]FDG PET/CT when added to the most frequently used anatomy-based studies in the evaluation of IFIs. The study was conducted in two University Medical Centers in the Netherlands. Reports of [18F]FDG PET/CT and anatomy-based imaging performed within two weeks of the [18F]FDG PET/CT scan were retrieved, and the presence and sites of IFI lesions were documented for each procedure. We included 155 [18F]FDG PET/CT scans performed in 73 patients. A total of 216 anatomy-based studies including 80 chest X-rays, 89 computed tomography studies, 14 magnetic resonance imaging studies, and 33 ultrasound imaging studies were studied. The anatomy-based studies were concordant with the [18F]FDG PET/CT for 94.4% of the scans performed. [18F]FDG PET/CT detected IFI lesions outside of the areas imaged by the anatomy-based studies in 48.6% of the scans. In 74% of the patients, [18F]FDG PET/CT added value in the management of the IFIs.
