Utility of fluorine-18 fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography in the etiological diagnosis of unexplained inflammatory syndromes: A retrospective study of 25 cases

Positron emission tomography integrated with computed tomography using 2-deoxy-2-[fluorine-18]fluoro-D-glucose (18F-FDG PET/CT) plays a critical role in the localization, diagnosis, and management of infectious diseases and inflammatory disorders. This hybrid imaging modality provides morpho-metabolic information that aids in defining the etiology of unexplained inflammatory syndromes and assessing treatment response. A key advantage of 18F-FDG PET/CT is its ability to provide a comprehensive, “all in one” diagnostic solution, particularly in cases where localizing symptoms are absent, facilitating the identification of metastatic and/or septic foci. Recently, there has been increasing recognition among clinicians of its potential in diagnosing, characterizing, and assessing inflammatory disorders. This study evaluates the clinical utility of 18F-FDG PET/CT in identifying the etiology of inflammatory syndromes by analyzing 25 patients with unexplained inflammatory disorders. The findings highlight the high reproducibility, sensitivity, and specificity of this imaging modality in this context.