HOME HELP FEEDBACK TABLE OF CONTENTS ARCHIVE SUBSCRIPTIONS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Buchler, T. Articles by Lee, S.M. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Buchler, T. Articles by Lee, S.M.

FDG-PET in bleomycin-induced pneumonitis following ABVD chemotherapy for Hodgkin’s disease-a useful tool for monitoring pulmonary toxicity and disease activity

¹ Department of Oncology, University College London Hospital, London, UK;
² Institute of Nuclear Medicine, University College London Hospital, London, UK

Bleomycin-related pneumonitis (BIP) has recently emerged as one of the main causes of death in Hodgkin’s disease treated with standard chemotherapy ABVD (doxorubicin, bleomycin, vinblastine, dacarbazine). We used 18-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography (PET) scanning in a patient with Hodgkin’s disease who developed bleomycin lung toxicity following the 4^th cycle of chemotherapy. The PET scan done two month after the acute presentation with BIP showed uptake of FDG in the lungs. Following treatment with corticosteroids, the FDG avidity in the lungs disappeared. Corticosteroids were tapered off subsequently, without recurrence of the respiratory symptoms. Conventional CT scanning was not able to distinguish between residual changes and active inflammation. Thus PET represents a useful diagnostic tool and, independently of CT, indicates the resolution of disease activity, even in the presence of residual pulmonary scarring