Clinical Utility of FDG PET/MRI in Detection of Pain Generators in Patients with Chronic Pain

Motivation: There is a critical unmet need for accurate detection of pain generating foci to enable treatment of patients suffering from chronic pain. Goal(s): To evaluate the clinical impact of FDG PET/MRI in patients among whom conventional diagnostic imaging and therapies had not achieved pain remission. Approach: A single-center retrospective study of patients who underwent PET/MRI with clinical follow up to determine if PET/MRI altered management, and if so, whether pain reduction was achieved. Results: PET/MRI resulted in change in management for 30/41 patients. Among those where post-PET/MRI pain score was available, there was a significant reduction in pain score by 34%. Impact: FDG PET/MRI is a promising tool in management of patients with chronic pain among whom the origin of pain remains unknown. Further validation through larger multi-center studies with appropriate controls are needed before widespread implementation.