[Positron emission tomography/computed tomography in rheumatology].

Combined positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) is a whole-body imaging procedure, which enables sensitive detection of inflammatory changes. It may be used to simultaneously obtain both precise anatomical and molecular information in order to comprehensively characterize diseases. The glucose analogue F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) represents a universally applicable radiotracer for imaging of inflammatory processes. Its accumulation in tissues can be semiquantitatively characterized by use of standardized uptake values (SUV). In principle, a broad spectrum of infectious and non-infectious inflammatory and malignant diseases can be imaged. F-FDG PET/CT has become a valuable modality and is increasingly being used for evaluation of large vessel vasculitis and for evaluation of elevated systemic inflammatory markers without known cause. Beside the radiotracer F-FDG, other radiopharmaceuticals enable a non-invasive analysis of additional parameters of inflammatory disorders, such as other metabolic pathways or the expression of surface receptors.