Physiological 2-deoxy-2-[fluorine-18] fluoro-D-glucose accumulation in the thenar eminence in adults: a single-center retrospective study

Objective This study evaluated the frequency, and effect of physiological 2-deoxy-2-[fluorine-18] fluoro- D -glucose (FDG) tracer injection and its association with the penetration rates of mobile devices. Methods This retrospective analysis included 213 patients (mean age ± standard deviation, 66.2 ± 14.1 years; range 23–93 years; 125 men) who underwent FDG-positron emission tomography examination. Elevated FDG activity in the thenar eminence with maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax) ≥ 2.5 was considered positive. Differences according to age, sex, laterality, and tracer injection side were evaluated using Fisher’s exact test. Associations were assessed using Pearson’s correlation coefficient. Results Twenty-three percent (49/213) of the patients had elevated FDG activity in the thenar eminence (mean SUVmax, 3.50 ± 1.04; range 2.5–6.3), including 18 with bilateral findings. No significant difference existed according to age (