Symptomatic Carotid Plaques Show Decreased (18)F-Fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) Uptake on Positron Emission Tomography (PET) After 3 Months Follow-up from Last Symptom

Introduction: The risk of stroke is high shortly after the index symptoms in patients with carotid disease. This indicates that unstable carotid plaques stabilizes over time, which may be due to changes in composition and inflammatory activity. Inflammation is thought to be one of the leading causes in atherosclerotic plaques destabilizing leading to thrombosis. With positron emission tomography (PET) previous studies have shown increased uptake of the glucose analogue tracer [18F]-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) in symptomatic compared to asymptomatic carotid plaques.
Source: European Journal of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery - Category: Surgery Authors: Source Type: research