Clinical Cerenkov Luminescence Imaging of 18F-FDG

The aim of this study was to determine the feasibility of Cerenkov luminescence (CL) imaging of patients undergoing diagnostic F-18-FDG scans to detect nodal disease. Methods: Patients undergoing routine F-18-FDG PET/CT for various malignancies consented to being scanned for CL. White-light and Cerenkov images (5-min acquisition) of the surface of the patient contralateral to and at the site of nodal F-18-FDG uptake were acquired using a cooled, intensified charge-coupled-device camera. Results: The camera demonstrated linear correlation between activity and counts into the low nanocurie range using F-18-FDG. Imaging of patients revealed the presence of F-18-FDG uptake in nodes that demonstrated uptake on PET. A correlation between maximum standardized uptake value from PET and counting rate per area on the CL imaging was established. Conclusion: CL imaging with diagnostic doses of F-18-FDG is feasible and can aid in detecting disease in the clinical setting.