[(18) F]Fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG PET) can be used to visualize large-vessel inflammation in giant-cell arteritis, Takayasu arteritis, and other types of aortitis. In patients with symptoms compatible with polymyalgia rheumatica, findings of increased FDG-uptake in the shoulders, hips, as well as the spinous processes of the cervical and lumbar spine, may suggest this diagnosis. In patients with giant-cell arteritis, there is increased metabolic activity within the aortic wall on FDG PET scintigraphy, indicating inflammation of the aorta, which may be a predictor of a higher potential for aortic dilatation.
© 2011 New York Academy of Sciences.