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. 2024 Sep-Oct;39(5):409-410.
doi: 10.4103/ijnm.ijnm_94_24. Epub 2025 Jan 25.

Steroid-induced Activated White Adipose Tissue on FDG PET-CT

Ashique Rehman  1 , Tejasvini Singhal  1 , Parneet Singh  1 , Girish Kumar Parida  1 , Kanhaiyalal Agrawal  1 , P Sai Sradha Patro  1 , T Kishan Subudhi  1 , Sunita Gupta  2
Affiliations

Steroid-induced Activated White Adipose Tissue on FDG PET-CT

Ashique Rehman et al. Indian J Nucl Med. 2024 Sep-Oct.

Abstract

White adipose tissue (WAT) generally has negligible glucose utilization and thus, shows no or insignificant Fluorine-18 fluoro D-glucose (FDG) uptake. However, corticosteroids can cause altered biodistribution of FDG with increased uptake in WAT. We hereby describe a case of immune complex-mediated glomerulonephritis showing diffusely increased FDG uptake in WAT secondary to high-dose corticosteroid therapy.

Keywords: Cortico-steroid; fluorine-18 fluoro D-glucose positron emission tomography computed tomography; white adipose tissue.

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Conflict of interest statement

There are no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
58-year-old male, known case of adenocarcinoma stomach and glomerulonephritis. (a) Maximum intensity projection image shows mild diffuse fluoro D-glucose (FDG) uptake throughout the body, predominantly involving lower abdomen. (b-d) Transaxial images of abdomen, pelvis and inguinal area respectively show localization of FDG in the subcutaneous white adipose tissue. Focal uptake in the right shoulder joint localized to degenerative changes in the right acromioclavicular joint
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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