[F]Fluorodeoxyglucose (INN), or fluorodeoxyglucose F 18 (USAN and USP), also commonly called fluorodeoxyglucose and abbreviated [F]FDG, 2-[F]FDG or FDG, is a radiopharmaceutical, specifically a radiotracer, used in the medical imaging modality positron emission tomography (PET). Chemically, it is 2-deoxy-2-[F]fluoro--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 [F]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 [F]FDG is injected into a patient, a PET scanner can form two-dimensional or three-dimensional images of the distribution of [F]FDG within the body.
Since its development in 1976, [F]FDG had a profound influence on research in the neurosciences. The subsequent discovery in 1980 that [F]FDG accumulates in tumors underpins the evolution of PET as a major clinical tool in cancer diagnosis. [F]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.