PET/MRI may help diagnose fevers of unknown origin

PET/MRI imaging shows promise in diagnosing fevers or inflammation of unknown origin and may have advantages over PET/CT, according to a study published January 3 in the European Journal of Radiology.In a study that included 104 patients, PET/MRI provided high sensitivity and specificity for determining underlying causes, especially in patients with elevated C-reactive protein, a blood biomarker of inflammation, according to lead author Tomas Rohan, MD, of University Hospital Brno in Brno, Czechia.“To make the indications more specific to and improve the overall diagnostic performance, F-18 FDG-PET/MRI should be indicated in FUO and IOU especially in patients with elevated CRP,” the authors noted.Fever of unknown origin (FUO) is defined as a temperature higher than 38.3 °C lasting more than three weeks and of which the cause has not been determined during more than three visits to the doctor or three days in the hospital. Inflammation of unknown origin (IUO) is defined as prolonged and perplexing inflammation with temperatures below 38.3 °C.Both FUO and IUO can be caused by a wide range of pathological processes, from malignancies, infections, and granulomatous and inflammatory diseases, to miscellaneous causes. Moreover, if the etiology persists undiagnosed for more than six to 12 months, the likelihood that a specific diagnosis will ever be made decreases, the authors explained.PET/MRI is a relatively new hybrid method being gradually integrated into clinical pr...
Source: AuntMinnie.com Headlines - Category: Radiology Authors: Tags: Molecular Imaging Source Type: news