Performance of 18F fluoro-2-désoxy-D-glucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography for the diagnosis of venous thromboembolism. Issue 1 (January 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Le Roux, Pierre-Yves; Robin, Philippe; Delluc, Aurélien; Tardy, Bernard; Abgral, Ronan; Couturaud, Francis; Reffad, Abdelmalek; Le Gal, Grégoire; Salaun, Pierre-Yves
• Is Part Of: Thrombosis research. Volume 135:Issue 1(2015)
• Page Start: 31
• Page End: 35
• Publication Date: 2015-01
• Subjects: Thrombosis -- Periodicals; 616.135
• DOI: 10.1016/j.thromres.2014.10.008
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0049-3848

Abstract

<abstract abstract-type="author" id="ab0005"> <title id="st0005">Abstract</title> <sec> <title id="st0010">Introduction</title> <p id="sp0005">Thrombosis and inflammation are intimately linked. Inflammatory component of venous thromboembolism (VTE) may allow the use of FDG positron emission tomography / computed tomography (FDG PET/CT) in the detection of thrombotic process. Published studies remain limited and contradictory. We aimed at evaluating the performance of FDG PET/CT in the detection of VTE in a population of patients enrolled in a prospective study evaluating FDG PET/CT for cancer screening in etiological assessment of idiopathic VTE.</p> </sec> <sec> <title id="st0015">Materials and methods</title> <p id="sp0010">The first consecutive 100 patients who underwent FDG PET/CT were included. Visual and quantitative analyses of vascular axes was performed and compared with lower limb veins compression ultrasonography, lung scintigraphy and/or computed tomography pulmonary angiography.</p> </sec> <sec> <title id="st0020">Results</title> <p id="sp0015">Out of the 100 patients, 63 presented lobar pulmonary embolism for a total of 217 embolic sites and 62 had a deep vein thrombosis for a total of 143 thrombotic sites.</p> <p id="sp0020">Regarding pulmonary embolism, sensitivity and specificity of FDG PET/CT were 3% (95%CI: 1-6%) and 99% (95%CI: 98-100%). SUV max ratio between pulmonary embolism location and non-pathological contralateral vessel was 1.04 ± 0.18 (p = 0.7).</p> <p id="sp0025">Regarding deep vein thrombosis, sensitivity and specificity were 31% (95%CI: 24-39%) and 88% (95%CI: 81-92%). The metabolic activity was significantly higher than in contralateral vessels (p < 0.001), with a SUV max ratio of 1.25 ± 0.53, but without any significant SUVmax threshold applicable in routine practice for deep vein thrombosis diagnosis.</p> </sec> <sec> <title id="st0025">Conclusions</title> <p id="sp0030">FDG PET/CT is not accurate enough for the diagnosis of VTE.</p> </sec> </abstract>