FDG-PET/CT in large-vessel vasculitis: its diagnostic and follow-up role

Vasculitis is a disorder characterized by inflammation of blood vessels. Its clinical manifestations are diverse and depend on the size of the involved vessels and the organs affected by ischemia. In some cases the disease is manifested only with symptoms and signs of systemic inflammation (e.g. fever, night sweats, fatigue). Results of laboratory tests usually indicate only the inflammatory process. It is known that radiolabeled glucose analogue 18F-fluoro-deoxyglucose ([18F] FDG) used in positron emission tomography (PET) accumulates in both malignant and inflammatory tissue (Zhuang et al. in Radiol Clin North Am 43:121-134, 2005). We report a case of a patient with FDG-PET/CT findings of large-vessel vasculitis with follow-up results that convinced us to change the treatment.