Vertebral Artery Microcalcification Detected by 18F-NaF PET/CT

Intracranial atherosclerosis is a leading cause of stroke and cognitive dysfunction. Calcification of intracranial atherosclerotic plaques is commonly observed on noncontrast CT, yet structural imaging alone cannot visualize active microcalcifications characteristic of progressive atheroma. 18 F-NaF is an emerging PET radiotracer of vascular microcalcification that may enable the detection of such pathophysiology. In this report, we present molecular microcalcification of the left vertebral artery incidentally found on 18 F-NaF PET/CT of a 64-year-old man with risk factors for intracranial atherosclerosis.