Síndrome febril de origen desconocido. Indicaciones de la PET/TC con 18F-FDG en los procesos inflamatorios e infecciosos

Noninvasive diagnostic techniques are used in 69.2% of cases and invasive techniques in 30.8%. Structural imaging techniques show the morphological changes from infectious, inflammatory, and tumor-related processes, but they do not allow the detection of the early changes brought about by these processes. The metabolic information provided by 18F-FDG PET/CT has a promising role in these patients. 18F-FDG uptake is based on the cells' use of glucose as a source of energy, so it can be observed in infectious, inflammatory, and tumor-related processes. The established non-oncologic indications for 18F-FDG PET/CT are sarcoidosis, osteomyelitis, spondylodiscitis, fever of unknown origin, and vasculitis, which together account for more than 85% of studies.