====== Fluorodeoxyglucose ======

[[FDG-PET]]

see [[18F fluorocholine positron emission tomography]]

see [[18F positron emission tomography]].

see [[18F FET PET]].

Fluorodeoxyglucose ([[18F]]) (INN), or [[fluorodeoxyglucose]] F 18 (USAN and USP), also commonly called [[fluorodeoxyglucose]] and abbreviated [18F][[FDG]], [[18F-FDG]] or [[FDG]], is a radiopharmaceutical used in the medical imaging modality[[ positron emission tomography]] ([[PET]]). Chemically, it is 2-deoxy-2-[18F]fluoro-D-glucose, a glucose analog, with the positron-emitting [[radionuclide]] [[fluorine]]-18 substituted for the normal hydroxyl group at the C-2 position in the glucose molecule.

The uptake of 18F-FDG by tissues is a marker for the tissue uptake of glucose, which in turn is closely correlated with certain types of tissue metabolism. After 18F-FDG is injected into a patient, a PET scanner can form two-dimensional or three-dimensional images of the distribution of 18F-FDG within the body.

Since its development in 1976, 18F-FDG had a profound influence on research in the neurosciences.
The subsequent discovery in 1980 that 18F-FDG accumulates in tumors underpins the evolution of PET as a major clinical tool in cancer diagnosis.

[[18F-FDG]] is now the standard radiotracer used for PET neuroimaging and cancer patient management.

The images can be assessed by a nuclear medicine physician or radiologist to provide diagnoses of various medical conditions.