Acronym

FDG - Fluorodeoxyglucose

Fluorodeoxyglucose

Fluorine-18 labelled glucose analogue (18F-fluorodeoxyglucose) for positron emission tomography imaging

Expansion

Fluorodeoxyglucose

Purpose

Most widely used positron emission tomography tracer for oncology, infection and inflammation, and dementia

Clinical Context

Fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography shows cancer cells have high glucose metabolism (Warburg effect). Physiologic uptake in brain, myocardium, bowel. Standardised uptake value maximum greater than 3 to 5 concerning for malignancy.

  • PET tracers
  • Metabolic imaging

Key Points

  • Fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography standard for staging most cancers; high standardised uptake value maximum suggests malignancy