Vol.22 No.5

Original Article

Whole-body fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/ computed tomography in patients with active polymyalgia rheumatica: evidence for distinctive bursitis and large-vessel vasculitis

Authors

Hiroyuki Yamashita1 , Kazuo Kubota2 , Yuko Takahashi1 , Ryogo Minaminoto2 , Miyako Morooka2 , Kimiteru Ito2 , Toshikazu Kano1 , Hiroshi Kaneko1 , Hiroshi Takashima3 , Akio Mimoiri1

  • Division of Rheumatic Diseases, National Center for Global Health and Medicine, 1-21-1 Toyama, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, Japan
  • Department of Radiology, National Center for Global Health and Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
  • Department of Neurology and Geriatrics, Kagoshima University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Kagoshima, Japan
Received:

25 October 2011

Accepted:

10 December 2011

Published online:

29 December 2011

Full Text

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Abstract

Objectives To investigate fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) accumulation in large joints, bursas, and large vessels in patients with polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) using 18-FDG positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) and to differentiate PMR from similar diseases.
Methods Fourteen untreated patients with active PMR and 17 control patients with rheumatoid arthritis (n = 11) or other active rheumatic diseases (n = 6) underwent 18-FDG PET/CT. FDG uptake in large joints, bursas and vertebral spinous processes was evaluated by calculating maximum standardised uptake values and by visual scoring (scale 0-4). PET scan images were scored in seven vascular regions, and total vascular scores (range 0-21) were calculated.
Results Polymyalgia rheumatica patients showed increased FDG uptake in ischial tuberosities, greater trochanters, and lumbar spinous processes. Positive results at two or more of these sites showed high sensitivity (85.7%) and specificity (88.2%) for the diagnosis of PMR, and shoulder or hip-joint involvement showed low disease specificity. High FDG accumulations were found in the aortas and subclavian arteries of two PMR patients who were asymptomatic for temporal arteritis and scanty synovium and perisynovium, based on FDG uptake. PET/CT images of the 12 PMR patients without apparent vascular involvement showed synovitis and/or perisynovitis.
Conclusions Fluorodeoxyglucose-PET/CT may be useful for the detection of PMR lesions, which are difficult to identify using other methods.

Key words

Polymyalgia rheumatica - 18-FDG positron emission tomography/computed tomography - Bursitis - Synovitis - Vasculitis