Comparison of FDG-PET/CT images between chronic renal failure patients on hemodialysis and controls with normal renal function

Objectives To determine the difference in the FDG uptake pattern between chronic renal failure patients on hemodialysis (group HD) and controls with normal renal function (group NC).

Methods 18 patients from group HD and 18 age- and sex-matched subjects from group NC were enrolled in this retrospective study. Patients with hyperglycemia (>120mg/dl) were excluded from both groups. Patients on peritoneal dialysis were excluded from group HD. All group NC subjects underwent a medical check-up with FDG-PET/CT and did not have a previous history of any malignancies. Standardized uptake values (SUV) of the cerebellum, lungs, liver, spleen, aorta, and thoracolumbar spine were calculated and the mean SUV in each organ was compared between groups HD and NC.

Results Only the splenic SUV was significantly different between groups HD and NC (2.04 ± 0.31 versus 1.84 ± 0.24, p=0.044, Student’s t-test). However, there were no subjects whose splenic FDG uptake was visually higher than the liver. There was no significant difference between the two groups in other organs.

Conclusions FDG-PET/CT of chronic renal failure patients on hemodialysis can be assessed equally well as other subjects with normal renal function, because the FDG uptake pattern was not significantly different between groups HD and NC.