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.