In patients with clinically suspected PD, myocardial innervation imaging demonstrated high sensitivity and specificity. MIBG scintigraphy is an accurate test in this setting. Nevertheless, possible causes of false-negative and false-positive results should be kept in mind when interpreting the scintigraphic results.

Delayed FDG PET-CT imaging should be considered at least in patients with negative 1-hour scan and founded suspicion of pacing lead infection.

Statins are one of the most important medications in cardio-vascular diseases since they block cholesterol synthesis by inhibiting the 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase and thus reduce low density lipoprotein concentrations. In the last years, numerous pleiotropic properties of statins have been described, beyond their well-known lipid lowering function. In particular, they are able to modulate inflammation, which plays a pivotal role in the atherosclerotic process. Several trials have shown a direct correlation between statin therapy and lower C-reactive protein concentrations. Moreover, a large body of pathophysiological studies has demonstrated that statins lower cytokine concentrations and inhibit recruitment, migration and cell adhesion to endothelium by attenuating chemokine production. They also inhibit inflammatory pathways regulated by proteins as Ras and Rho, and increase nitric oxide production which exerts a protective effect on endothelium. In addition to reducing inflammation in coronary atherosclerosis, statins also have beneficial effects in chronic inflammatory and autoimmune diseases, such as psoriasis, and they could induce clinical improvement. Statins seem to exert benefits even in settings of infection. These results suggest that initiating and monitoring statin therapy on the basis of inflammatory markers, in particular C-reactive protein, may improve cardiovascular prevention and treatment.

With regard to the staging and restaging of patients with ESFT, the sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of FDG-PET and PET/CT are high; the combination of FDG-PET or PET/CT with conventional imaging is a valuable tool for the staging and restaging of ESFT and has a relevant impact on the treatment strategy plan.

Overall diagnostic performance of PET/CT in detecting PC is optimal when integrating 18F-FDG and 68Ga-DOTA-peptide PET/CT findings. In the subgroup analysis, the SUV max ratio seems to be the most accurate index in predicting TC. Both methods should be performed when PC is suspected or when the histological subtype is undefined.

No abstract

This study aimed to assess the value of dual-timepoint F-FDG PET/CT in the prediction of lymph node (LN) status in patients with invasive vulvar cancer (VC) scheduled for inguinofemoral LN dissection. From April 2013 to July 2015, all consecutive patients with VC scheduled for inguinofemoral LN dissection were prospectively enrolled. All patients underwent a preoperative whole-body F-FDG PET/CT scan at 1 h (standard examination) and an additional scan from T11 to the groins at 3 h (delayed examination) afterF-FDG injection. On both scans, each groin was visually scored 0 or 1 concerning F-FDG LN uptake relative to background. Semiquantitative analysis included SUV and the corresponding retention index of SUV, measured on both scans. The optimal cutoff value of these parameters was defined using a receiver-operating-characteristic analysis. Histopathology was the standard of reference. Thirty-three patients were included, with a total of 57 groins dissected and histologically evaluated. At histopathology, 21 of 57 (37%) groins contained metastatic LNs. Concerning visual score, sensitivity, specificity, negative predictive value, positive predictive value, and accuracy were 95.2%, 75%, 96.4%, 69%, and 82.5% on standard scanning and 95.2%, 77.8%, 96.6%, 71.4%, and 84.2% on delayed scanning, respectively. At receiver-operating-characteristic analysis, sensitivity and specificity were 95.2% and 77.8% on standard and delayedF-FDG PET/CT for an SUV cutoff of greater than 1.32 and 1.88, respectively, and 95.2% and 80% for a retention index of SUV cutoff of greater than 0. StandardF-FDG PET/CT is an effective preoperative imaging method for the prediction of LN status in VC, allowing the prediction of pathologically negative groins and thus the selection of patients suitable for minimally invasive surgery. Delayed F-FDG PET/CT did not improve the specificity and the positive predictive value in our series. Larger studies are needed for a further validation.

No abstract