The diagnostic value of 18F-FDG PET/CT in identifying the causes of fever of unknown origin
Wan Zhu, Wenxia Cao, Xuting Zheng, Xuena Li, Yaming Li, Baiyi Chen, Jingping Zhang
Abstract
<h3>ABSTRACT</h3> <h3>Background</h3> This study investigated the clinical significance of <sup>18</sup>F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography / computed tomography (<sup>18</sup>F-FDG PET/CT) in identifying the causes of fever of unknown origin (FUO). <h3>Methods</h3> Patients with a fever who received an <sup>18</sup>F-FDG PET/CT examination were retrospectively selected. The means of the two groups were compared using an independent-samples t-test. <h3>Results</h3> Among the 89 included patients, 66 were diagnosed using <sup>18</sup>F-FDG PET/CT. The sensitivity, specificity and diagnostic accuracy of <sup>18</sup>F-FDG PET/CT for the diagnosis of patients with FUO were 84.5%, 25.8%, and 64.0%, respectively. The detection rates of <sup>18</sup>F-FDG PET/CT for neoplastic diseases, infectious diseases and non-infectious inflammatory diseases were 100%, 61.3%, and 75%, respectively. The difference in C-reactive protein (CRP) levels between the two groups was statistically significant. <h3>Conclusions</h3> <sup>18</sup>F-FDG PET/CT has great clinical importance in diagnosing and identifying causes of FUO and improves the accuracy of FUO diagnosis when combined with serum CRP levels.