Open Access"The added value of 18f-FDG PET/CT in the assessment of onset and steroid resistant polimyalgia rheumatica"
Author(s) -
Patricia Moya Alvarado,
Alejandro Fernández León,
Maria Emilia Corica,
Valle Camacho Marti,
Diego Alfonso López-Mora,
Iván Castellví,
Hèctor Corominas
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
plos one
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.99
H-Index - 332
ISSN - 1932-6203
DOI - 10.1371/journal.pone.0255131
Subject(s) - medicine , polymyalgia rheumatica , medical diagnosis , radiology , differential diagnosis , clinical significance , giant cell arteritis , computed tomography , vasculitis , nuclear medicine , disease , pathology
PMR is a common inflammatory rheumatic disease. Although its clinical characteristics are fully recognized, no specific test for its diagnosis has been established to date. Several studies have described a wide variety of diseases that present with polymyalgic symptoms. A 18 FDG-PET/CT scan could help to deal with these differential diagnoses. The goal of our study is to describe the findings of the 18 FDG-PET/CT scan in a cohort of PMR patients and to detail how the 18 FDG-PET/CT scan improves accuracy when diagnosing other underlying conditions. This cross-sectional study enrolled patients with a diagnosis of PMR who underwent to a 18 FDG-PET/CT scan to rule out other diagnosis. The 18 FDG-PET/CT scan was performed either following clinical criteria at the onset of clinical symptoms or when the patient became PMR steroid resistant. Patients’ demographic, clinical and analytical data at the moment of the 18 FDG-PET/CT scan were recorded. The final diagnosis was confirmed according to clinical judgement. A total of 103 patients with PMR were included. In 49.51% of patients, the 18 FDG-PET/CT scan was ordered to study resistance to steroid therapy. The final diagnoses of patients were PMR in 70.9% patients, large vessel vasculitis in 15.5%, neoplasms 4.8% and another diagnosis in the rest. The 18 FDG-PET/CT scan is a very useful technique for the study of Polymyalgia Rheumatica, not only to help in the diagnostic process, but also due to its role in the identification of a variety of PMR-like patrons.