ABSTRACT
Lung Disease 358
II. Background of 18-Fluorodeoxyglucose Imaging 358
III. FDG-PET Imaging in Infection and Inflammation 358
IV. PET Advantages over Traditional Nuclear Medicine
Techniques in the Evaluation of Lung Infection
and Inflammation 359
V. Potential Clinical Applications 360
A. Sarcoidosis 360
B. Chronic Granulomatous Disease 363
C. Cystic Fibrosis 364
D. Asthma and Chronic Obstructive
Pulmonary Disease 365
E. Silicosis 366
VI. Monitoring Disease Processes and
Response to Therapy 366
VII. Differentiating Between Malignant and
Inflammatory Processes 366
VIII. Conclusions 367
References 368
I. Imaging in Infectious and Inflammatory Lung Disease
Diagnostic imaging plays a prominent role in the management of infectious and
inflammatory pulmonary processes as the detection and localization of disease is
important when initiating therapy. Imaging modalities provide insight into
disease progression as well as response to therapy. For example, chest radiogra-
phy is commonly used in the diagnostic evaluation of patients with sarcoidosis,
pulmonary tuberculosis, and pneumonia. Computed tomography (CT) is ben-
eficial in patients with atypical findings. Despite improvements in the resolution
of these techniques, many disorders still go unnoticed for extended periods of
time and some may never manifest as detectable abnormalities using these mod-
alities until the irreversible anatomical damages have been formed.