Authors' recommendations: PET is an imaging method characterised by relatively higher costs and lower availability than methods such as CT. The available studies on the use of PET or PET/CT in sarcoidosis are small and heterogeneous. Many were retrospective case series. Two recent systematic reviews were identified. While these were of reasonable quality, many of the studies that they included were methodologically weak. The first concluded that FDG-PET is a potentially valuable technique in patients with suspected cardiac sarcoidosis. The second reported that FDG-PET may be a useful imaging method in assessing disease activity and monitoring treatment response. Most of the included studies focused on assessing disease activity, with only two on monitoring treatment response (Braun et al. and Keijsers et al.). The authors also concluded that FDG-PET shows better diagnostic accuracy than 67Ga scintigraphy, but highlight that FDG-PET cannot be used to distinguish sarcoidosis from other inflammatory or malignant conditions. Of all the studies identified, the majority focus on the diagnostic accuracy of PET or PET/CT. There was very little identified relating to how PET/CT imaging impacts on clinical outcomes: Braun et al. detailed five patients who underwent a second PET/CT to monitor treatment response, which permitted corticosteroid withdrawal in two patients. However, based on the current evidence base, the extent to which PET/CT might impact on patient management is not clear. There is a need for further prospective studies with a larger patient population to define the role of PET/CT in sarcoidosis. The limited evidence identified for this scoping report suggests that it may have a role in a small number of sarcoidosis cases. However, the available evidence is not strong enough to permit confident conclusions on the patient groups that may benefit. No economic evidence on the use of PET/CT in sarcoidosis was identified.

Project Status: Completed

Year Published: 2013

URL for published report: http://www.healthcareimprovementscotland.org/our_work/technologies_and_medicines/shtg_scoping_reports/technologies_scoping_report_13.aspx

English language abstract: An English language summary is available

Publication Type: Not Assigned

Country: Scotland, United Kingdom

Organisation Name: Scottish Health Technologies Group

Contact Address: Scottish Health Technologies Group, Delta House, 50 West Nile Street, Glasgow, G1 2NP Tel: 0141 225 6998

Contact Name: his.shtg@nhs.scot

Contact Email: his.shtg@nhs.scot

Copyright: Healthcare Improvement Scotland