Tracer — FDG PET/CT
¹⁸F-FDG PET/CT Cases
The workhorse of PET imaging. Cases organized by organ system and disease process. Scroll the DICOM stack, then reveal diagnosis and teaching points.
Deauville ScoringPERCISTStaging & ResponseNormal VariantsInfection & InflammationCardiac
FDG PET is essential for staging, interim response, and end-of-treatment assessment in lymphoma. Deauville scoring drives management decisions.
Cases Coming Soon
Hodgkin Lymphoma — Staging
Classic mediastinal diseaseAnn Arbor stagingBulky diseaseB symptomsBaseline Deauville
Cases Coming Soon
DLBCL — Interim Response
After 2 cycles R-CHOPDeauville 3 vs 4SUV reductionManagement implications
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End-of-Treatment Assessment
Complete metabolic responseResidual massDeauville 1–5Next steps by score
⚠️ Pitfalls & Normal Variants — Cases Coming Soon
Lymphoma Pitfalls
Thymic rebound vs recurrenceInflammatory nodes post-treatmentInfection mimicking diseaseSplenic uptake patterns
FDG PET for lung cancer staging, solitary pulmonary nodule characterization, and treatment response assessment.
Cases Coming Soon
NSCLC — Staging
T-stage assessmentNodal stagingDistant metastasesAdrenal incidentaloma
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Solitary Pulmonary Nodule
SUVmax thresholdsFalse positivesGranuloma mimicsManagement algorithm
Cases Coming Soon
Treatment Response
PERCIST criteriaEarly responsePseudo-progressionImmunotherapy patterns
⚠️ Pitfalls & Normal Variants — Cases Coming Soon
Thoracic Pitfalls
Granulomatous diseaseCarcinoid tumors — variable avidityPost-radiation changesAtelectasis
HNSCC staging, unknown primary localization, and treatment response. FDG PET changes management in a significant proportion of cases.
Cases Coming Soon
HNSCC — Staging
Primary tumorNodal stagingDistant diseaseHPV-positive vs negative
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Unknown Primary
Waldeyer's ringDirected biopsyPET-guided workupBilateral nodal disease
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Post-Treatment Response
12-week post-RT scanResidual diseaseSalvage surgery decisionPitfalls in irradiated field
⚠️ Pitfalls & Normal Variants — Cases Coming Soon
H&N Pitfalls
Brown fat — cervicalReactive nodesPost-surgical changesVocal cord asymmetry
Colorectal cancer restaging, recurrence detection, and CEA elevation workup. FDG PET detects recurrence missed by CT in a significant proportion of patients.
Cases Coming Soon
Colorectal Cancer Restaging
Rising CEALiver metastasesPeritoneal diseasePre-surgical assessment
Cases Coming Soon
Recurrence Detection
Anastomotic recurrenceNodal recurrenceDistant metastasesCT-occult disease
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Other GI Malignancies
Gastric cancerEsophageal cancerPancreatic cancerGIST response
⚠️ Pitfalls & Normal Variants — Cases Coming Soon
GI Pitfalls
Physiologic bowel uptakeMucinous tumors — low avidityPeritoneal disease detection limitsPost-surgical inflammation
FDG PET is highly sensitive for active inflammation and infection — evaluating simultaneously for occult malignancy, infection, and vasculitis.
Cases Coming Soon
Fever of Unknown Origin
Occult malignancyLarge vessel vasculitisInflammatory bowel diseaseInfection sources
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Large Vessel Vasculitis
GCA / TakayasuAortic wall uptakeLinear vs focal patternTreatment response
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Cardiac & Vascular Infection
Cardiac sarcoidosisProsthetic valve endocarditisVascular graft infectionDevice infection
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Musculoskeletal Infection
OsteomyelitisProsthetic joint infectionSpondylodiscitisSoft tissue infection
⚠️ Pitfalls & Normal Variants — Cases Coming Soon
Infection & Inflammation Pitfalls
Atherosclerosis vs vasculitisPost-surgical inflammationPhysiologic marrow uptakeHealing fractures
FDG PET for cardiac sarcoidosis and viability assessment. Requires specific preparation protocols to suppress physiologic myocardial uptake.
Cases Coming Soon
Cardiac Sarcoidosis
High-fat low-carb prepFocal patchy uptakePerfusion-metabolism mismatchTreatment monitoring
Cases Coming Soon
Myocardial Viability
Hibernating myocardiumFDG vs perfusionRevascularization decisionMetabolic-flow mismatch
⚠️ Pitfalls & Normal Variants — Cases Coming Soon
Cardiac FDG Pitfalls
Inadequate preparation — diffuse uptakeNormal variant focal uptakeAttenuation artifactsPatient fasting compliance
FDG brain PET for dementia pattern recognition. High background uptake makes interpretation challenging — see the Brain PET section for full neuro cases.
Cases Coming Soon
Dementia Pattern Recognition
Alzheimer's patternFTD patternsDLB patternVascular dementia
Cases Coming Soon
FDG vs Amyloid Comparison
Neurodegeneration markerMetabolic correlatesN in A/T/N frameworkComplementary roles
⚠️ Pitfalls & Normal Variants — Cases Coming Soon
Brain FDG Pitfalls
High background — subtle defectsAge-related changesMedication effectsSeizure — peri-ictal hypermetabolism
The most common sources of false-positive interpretation on FDG PET. Every reader should know these cold.
Cases Coming Soon
Brown Adipose Tissue
Cervical & supraclavicularAxillary & paravertebralRisk factorsCT correlation — negative HU
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Thymic Rebound
Post-chemotherapyV-shaped morphologyYoung patientsVs anterior mediastinal recurrence
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Physiologic Uptake Patterns
Uterine — menstrual cycleMuscle uptakeBowel activityRenal excretion patterns
Cases Coming Soon
Post-Treatment Changes
Radiation pneumonitisSurgical sitesInflammatory responseG-CSF marrow stimulation
Key References & Resources