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Diagnostic value of 18-F fluorodeoxyglucose PET/CT and bone scan in Schnitzler syndrome

Alix L, Néel A, Cador B, Smail A, Serratrice J, Closs-Prophette F, Jego P, Devillers A et al.

Autoimmunity, 2019

Abstract

Introduction: Schnitzler syndrome is an auto-inflammatory disease defined by chronic urticarial eruption and monoclonal gammopathy. 18F fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) is often performed, but its utility in Schnitzler syndrome has not been specifically investigated. The aim of this study was to determine whether PET/CT is informative in the diagnosis and follow-up of Schnitzler syndrome relative to other imaging techniques, including bone scans.Patients and methods: Patients of this study were selected from the French cohort established by Néel et al. All patients with a diagnosis of Schnitzler syndrome (according to Strasbourg's and Lipsker's criteria) who had at least one PET/CT were included. Data were collected from medical records. PET/CT scans were all reviewed by a nuclear physician blinded to the clinical and imaging data.Results: Ten patients underwent at least one PET/CT scan and all had at least one 99mTechnetium bone scan during their follow-up. The most frequent PET/CT abnormalities were diffuse bone-marrow and/or increased femoral fluorodeoxyglucose uptake, but they did not correlate with disease activity. Conversely, bone-scan abnormalities, including mainly increased radiotracer uptake in long bones, appeared to strongly correlate with Schnitzler syndrome activity.Discussion: PET/CT does not appear to be useful for the diagnosis and follow-up of Schnitzler syndrome. However, bone scans appear to be more sensitive…

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Evidence Hub reads this as a cohort study, done in people. Its evidence level is 3 of 5 (Moderate · trial / cohort / secondary analysis). Trials without a large randomized design, cohorts and secondary analyses give moderate evidence.

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