Neurovascular, Muscle, and Skin Changes on [18F]FDG PET/MRI in Complex Regional Pain Syndrome of the Foot: A Prospective Clinical Study.

Objective: The goal of this study is to demonstrate the feasibility of simultaneous [18F]-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography (PET) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for noninvasive visualization of muscular, neurovascular, and skin changes secondary to complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS).

Subjects: Seven adult patients with CRPS of the foot and seven healthy adult controls participated in our [18F]FDG PET/MRI study.

Methods: All participants received whole-body PET/MRI scans 1 hour after the injection of 370MBq [18F]FDG.

Abnormal [18F]FDG PET/MRI findings in paraspinal structures of patients with suspected cerebrospinal fluid leak.

A combination of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), computed tomography (CT), and radionuclide cisternography are typically used to locate a cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leak. However, the site of leakage cannot be determined, making treatment more difficult. Therefore, more sensitive imaging tools are needed.

Diagnosis and Successful Management of an Unusual Presentation of Chronic Foot Pain Using Positron Emission Tomography/Magnetic Resonance Imaging and a Simple Surgical Procedure.

A 61-year-old man presented with chronic dorsal foot pain of 9 years that worsened with ambulation. Conventional diagnostic imaging and medical workup were unrevealing, and ankle arthrodesis had been recommended by an orthopedic surgeon for pain relief. Instead, the patient participated in a clinical imaging trial designed for identifying pain generators using whole-body fluorodeoxyglucose (18F-FDG) positron emission tomography/magnetic resonance imaging (PET/MRI).

Successful treatment of chronic knee pain following localization by a sigma-1 receptor radioligand and PET/MRI: a case report.

Background: The ability to accurately diagnose and objectively localize pain generators in chronic pain sufferers remains a major clinical challenge since assessment relies on subjective patient complaints and relatively non-specific diagnostic tools. Developments in clinical molecular imaging, including advances in imaging technology and radiotracer design, have afforded the opportunity to identify tissues involved in pain generation based on their pro-nociceptive condition. The sigma-1 receptor (S1R) is a pro-nociceptive receptor upregulated in painful, inflamed tissues, and it can be imaged using the highly specific radioligand F-FTC-146 with PET.

F-FDG PET/MRI in Chronic Sciatica: Early Results Revealing Spinal and Nonspinal Abnormalities.

Chronic sciatica is a major cause of disability worldwide, but accurate diagnosis of the causative pathology remains challenging. In this report, the feasibility of an F-FDG PET/MRI approach for improved diagnosis of chronic sciatica is presented. F-FDG PET/MRI was performed on 9 chronic sciatica patients and 5 healthy volunteers (healthy controls).

Visualizing Nerve Injury in a Neuropathic Pain Model with [F]FTC-146 PET/MRI.

The ability to locate nerve injury and ensuing neuroinflammation would have tremendous clinical value for improving both the diagnosis and subsequent management of patients suffering from pain, weakness, and other neurologic phenomena associated with peripheral nerve injury. Although several non-invasive techniques exist for assessing the clinical manifestations and morphological aspects of nerve injury, they often fail to provide accurate diagnoses due to limited specificity and/or sensitivity. Herein, we describe a new imaging strategy for visualizing a molecular biomarker of nerve injury/neuroinflammation, , the sigma-1 receptor (S1R), in a rat model of nerve injury and neuropathic pain.

Biodistribution and Radiation Dosimetry of F-FTC-146 in Humans.

The purpose of this study was to assess safety, biodistribution, and radiation dosimetry in humans for the highly selective σ-1 receptor PET agent F-6-(3-fluoropropyl)-3-(2-(azepan-1-yl)ethyl)benzo[]thiazol-2(3H)-one (F-FTC-146). Ten healthy volunteers (5 women, 5 men; age ± SD, 34.3 ± 6.

Radiosynthesis and First-In-Human PET/MRI Evaluation with Clinical-Grade [F]FTC-146.

Purpose: Sigma-1 receptors (S1Rs) play an important role in many neurological disorders. Simultaneous positron emission tomography (PET)/magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with S1R radioligands may provide valuable information for diagnosing and guiding treatment for these diseases. Our previously reported S1R radioligand, [F]FTC-146, demonstrated high affinity for the S1R (K  = 0.