(18)F‐fluorodeoxyglucose uptake by positron emission tomography in patients with IPAH and CTEPH

Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is driven by pathologies associated with increased metabolism such as pulmonary revascularization, vasoconstriction and smooth muscle cell proliferation in pulmonary artery wall. 18‐fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (18FDG‐PET) is an imaging technique sensitive to glucose metabolism and might be considered as a non‐invasive method for diagnosis due to significant role of inflammation in idiopathic pulmonary artery hypertension (IPAH) and chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH). The present study aimed to investigate the role of PET/CT imaging of patients with IPAH and CTEPH as an alternative diagnosis method. Demographic characteristics, FDG uptake in lungs, pulmonary artery and right ventricle (RV) of 17 patients (10 IPAH, 7 CTEPH), and 30 controls were evaluated. PET scanning, 6‐min walk test, pro‐BNP level, right heart catheterization of patients were performed both at the onsert and after 6‐month PAH specific treatment. IPAH and CTEPH patients had significantly higher left lung FDG (p = 0.006), right lung FDG (p = 0.004), right atrial (RA) FDG (p