Detection of a right carotid focus of 18F-FDG predicted an ischemic stroke

Clin Nucl Med. 2015 Jan;40(1):e73-4. doi: 10.1097/RLU.0000000000000534.

Abstract

A 60-year-old woman was referred into our department for staging of an endometrial carcinoma. In addition to peritoneal and nodes metastases, F-FDG PET/CT showed a calcified plaque of the right carotid with focal uptake. One month later, the patient presented left hemiparesis, suggesting a right hemisphere stroke. MRI confirmed frontal infarction in the anterior cerebral artery territory. F-FDG is suggested to be a valuable tool to detect vessel wall inflammation; detection of focal arterial uptake on PET/CT suggests unstable plaque and requires urgent patient's management to prevent vascular events in a population already weakened by both disease and therapy.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Brain Ischemia / diagnosis
  • Brain Ischemia / diagnostic imaging*
  • Carotid Arteries / diagnostic imaging*
  • Cerebral Arteries / diagnostic imaging
  • Female
  • Fluorodeoxyglucose F18*
  • Humans
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging
  • Middle Aged
  • Multimodal Imaging
  • Plaque, Atherosclerotic / diagnostic imaging*
  • Positron-Emission Tomography
  • Radiopharmaceuticals*
  • Stroke / diagnosis
  • Stroke / diagnostic imaging*
  • Tomography, X-Ray Computed

Substances

  • Radiopharmaceuticals
  • Fluorodeoxyglucose F18