Dip-MBF confirms its role as potent predictor of outcome in HCM. However, the threshold for prediction in a contemporary cohort is higher than that reported in earlier studies. Dip-MBF impairment in the lateral wall, possibly reflecting diffuse disease extending to non-hypertrophic regions, is a sensitive predictor of mortality in HCM.

Purpose Transmural abnormalities in myocardial blood flow (MBF) are important causes of ischaemia in patients with left ventricular (LV) hypertrophy. The study aimed to test whether pixel-wise parametric mapping of 13 NH 3 MBF can reveal transmural abnormalities in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). Methods We submitted 11 HCM patients and 9 age-matched controls with physiological LV hypertrophy to rest and stress (dipyridamole) 13 NH 3 PET. We measured MBF using a compartmental model, and obtained rest and stress parametric maps. Pixel MBF values were reorganized to obtain subendocardial and subepicardial MBF of LV segments.

Rationale:Limbic encephalitis is one of the most common paraneoplastic neurological disorders (PND). The role of brain Fluorine-18-fluorodeoxyglucose position emission tomography/computed tomography (CT) in paraneoplastic limbic encephalitis (PLE) and of the whole body 18F-FDG PET/CT in this setting, remains still not well defined.Patient concerns:We report a case of a patient with chronic inflammatory rheumatism, psoriasis and Hashimoto thyroiditis and subsequent appearance of static and dynamic ataxia and episodic memory deficit who was diagnosed as PLE combined with small cell lung cancer (SCLC).Diagnoses:The diagnosis of SCLC was made with EBUS-TBNA of a mediastinal lymph node.Interventions:Whole-body 18F-FDG PET/CT was performed for the initial staging of SCLC, in the planning of radiotherapy treatment, to evaluate therapeutic response and in the follow-up. A dedicated brain scan was included to the same PET session. Whole-body contrast enhanced computed tomography (CT) and contrast enhanced whole-brain MRI were also performed.Outcomes:She was administered neoadjuvant chemioterapy with Cisplatin and Etoposide with concomitant radiotherapy treatment. Whole body 18F-FDG PET/CT showed a complete metabolic response already after 3 cycles of chemioterapy. Brain functional study showed a metabolic pattern characterized by the migration of hypermetabolism in the bilateral hippocampal areas during the therapeutic treatment, which correlated with the persistence of clinical symptoms.Lessons:In the era of personalized medicine and targeted therapy, this case highlights the importance of the 18F-FDG PET/CT study as an accurate tool to identify PLE and to guide the diagnostic work-up of the underlying tumor. Considering that most of these are 18F-FDG avid tumors and that the 18F-FDG PET/CT scan is often added to the diagnostic work-up when screening patients for malignancy, this functional imaging can play a decisive role.

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