F-18 FDG PET/CT in Tuberculosis: Non-Invasive Marker of Therapeutic Response to Antitubercular Therapy

Fluorine-18 fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (FDG PET/CT) imaging, an established procedure for evaluation of malignancy, also shows increased FDG uptake in inflammatory conditions like tuberculosis. We present two patients, one renal cell carcinoma, post nephrectomy on follow up, evaluated to have cervical and mediastinal nodes diagnosed as tuberculosis and another case of disseminated tuberculosis mimicking metastasis. They were started on Anti tubercular therapy (ATT). Post 2 months treatment, FDG PET/CT showed response in most of the lesions.FDG PET/CT allows an easy evaluation of early therapeutic response in patients with TB, particularly extra-pulmonary TB