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Insights into Imaging

Table 3 Advantages and disadvantages of advanced imaging modalities for assessing recent TB infections before active disease

From: CT and 18F-FDG PET abnormalities in contacts with recent tuberculosis infections but negative chest X-ray

 

Advantages

Disadvantages

Chest CT

Widely implemented

Evaluation of extrapulmonary TB manifestations

Radiation dose comparable to chest radiographs

Evaluation of TB lesions without morphologic changes (e.g., LNs)

Quick acquisition in a single breath-hold

 

Relatively affordable

 

18F-FDG PET

Metabolic information is quantifiable

Expensive

Extrapulmonary lesions are evaluable

Radiation dose is higher than chest CT

TB lesions without morphologic changes are detectable

Long acquisition time

Respiratory motions may affect image quality

Limitedly accessible in resource-constraint settings

 

Detection of small pulmonary lesions may be limited*

  1. TB —tuberculosis; CT —computed tomography; 18F-FDG —18-fluorodeoxyglucose; PET —positron emission tomography; MR —magnetic resonance; LN— lymph node
  2. *Detection of small pulmonary lesions may be limited on a PET/MR scan
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