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Imaging Findings and Therapy Response Monitoring in Chronic Sclerodermatous Graft-Versus-Host Disease: Preliminary Data of a Simultaneous PET/MRI Approach

2013

Article

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PURPOSE: Our objective was a multifunctional imaging approach of chronic sclerodermatous graft-versus-host disease (ScGVHD) and its course during therapy using PET/MRI. METHODS: We performed partial-body PET/CT and PET/MRI of the calf in 6 consecutively recruited patients presenting with severe ScGVHD. The patients were treated with different immunosuppressive regimens and supportive therapies. PET/CT scanning started 60.5 +/- 3.3 minutes, PET/MRI imaging 139.5 +/- 16.7 minutes after F-FDG application. MRI acquisition included T1- (precontrast and postcontrast) and T2-weighted sequences. SUVmean, T1 contrast enhancement, and T2 signal intensity from region-of-interest analysis were calculated for different fascial and muscular compartments. In addition, musculoskeletal MRI findings and the modified Rodnan skin score were assessed. All patients underwent imaging follow-up. RESULTS: At baseline PET/MRI, ScGVHD-related musculoskeletal abnormalities consisted of increased signal and/or thickening of involved anatomical structures on T2-weighted and T1 postcontrast images as well as an increased FDG uptake. At follow-up, ScGVHD-related imaging findings decreased (SUVmean n = 4, mean T1 contrast enhancement n = 5, mean T2 signal intensity n = 3) or progressed (SUVmean n = 3, mean T1 contrast enhancement n = 2, mean T2 signal intensity n = 4). Clinically modified Rodnan skin score improved for 5 follow-ups and progressed for 2. SUVmean values correlated between PET/CT and PET/MRI acquisition (r = 0.660, P = 0.014), T1 contrast enhancement, and T2 signal (r = 0.668, P = 0.012), but not between the SUVmean values and the MRI parameters. CONCLUSIONS: PET/MRI as a combined morphological and functional technique seems to assess the inflammatory processes from different points of view and provides therefore in part complementary information

Author(s): Sauter, AW. and Schmidt, H. and Mantlik, F. and Kolb, A. and Federmann, B. and Pfannenberg, C. and Reimold, M. and Pichler, BJ. and Bethge, W. and Horger, MS.
Journal: Clinical Nuclear Medicine
Volume: 38
Number (issue): 8
Pages: e309-e317
Year: 2013
Day: 0

Department(s): Empirical Inference
Bibtex Type: Article (article)

Links: Web

BibTex

@article{SauterSMKFPRPBH2013,
  title = {Imaging Findings and Therapy Response Monitoring in Chronic Sclerodermatous Graft-Versus-Host Disease: Preliminary Data of a Simultaneous PET/MRI Approach},
  author = {Sauter, AW. and Schmidt, H. and Mantlik, F. and Kolb, A. and Federmann, B. and Pfannenberg, C. and Reimold, M. and Pichler, BJ. and Bethge, W. and Horger, MS.},
  journal = {Clinical Nuclear Medicine},
  volume = {38},
  number = {8},
  pages = {e309-e317},
  year = {2013},
  doi = {}
}