Detection of Hepatic Encephalopathy on 18F-FDG PET/CT Brain Images in a Patient With Decompensated Liver Cirrhosis

Clin Nucl Med. 2018 Dec;43(12):e486-e487. doi: 10.1097/RLU.0000000000002327.

Abstract

We present a case of decompensated liver cirrhosis with ascites, which had history of asterixis, impaired balance with swaying gait along with mild irritability since 1 month. F-fluorodeoxyglucose PET/CT (FDG-PET/CT) performed to rule out malignancy did not reveal any abnormal FDG avid lesion suspicious for malignancy but showed hypermetabolism in the bilateral basal ganglia and thalamus with reduced metabolism in cerebral cortices and cerebellum, suggesting hepatic encephalopathy.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Fluorodeoxyglucose F18
  • Hepatic Encephalopathy / diagnostic imaging*
  • Hepatic Encephalopathy / etiology
  • Humans
  • Liver Cirrhosis / complications*
  • Male
  • Positron Emission Tomography Computed Tomography*
  • Radiopharmaceuticals

Substances

  • Radiopharmaceuticals
  • Fluorodeoxyglucose F18