Abstract
18F-FDG and 68Ga-citrate PET/CT have both been shown to be
useful in the management of tuberculosis (TB). We compared the abnormal PET
findings of 18F-FDG- and 68Ga-citrate-PET/CT in patients
with TB.
Methods Patients with TB on anti-TB therapy were included. Patients had a
set of PET scans consisting of both 18F-FDG and
68Ga-citrate. Abnormal lesions were identified, and the two sets of
scans were compared. The scan findings were correlated to the clinical data as
provided by the attending physician.
Results 46 PET/CT scans were performed in 18 patients, 11 (61 %) were
female, and the mean age was 35.7 ± 13.5 years. Five patients also had both
studies for follow-up reasons during the use of anti-TB therapy. Thirteen
patients were co-infected with HIV. 18F-FDG detected more lesions
than 68Ga-citrate (261 vs. 166, p < 0.0001).
68Ga-citrate showed a better definition of intracerebral lesions due
to the absence of tracer uptake in the brain. The mean SUVmax was higher for
18F-FDG compared to 68Ga-citrate (5.73 vs. 3.01,
p < 0.0001). We found a significant correlation between the SUVmax of lesions
that were determined by both tracers (r = 0.4968, p < 0.0001).
Conclusion Preliminary data shows 18F-FDG-PET detects more
abnormal lesions in TB compared to 68Ga-citrate. However,
68Ga-citrate has better lesion definition in the brain and is
therefore especially useful when intracranial TB is suspected.
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