Fluorodeoxyglucose (18F)
Fludeoxyglucose (18F) (INN), or fludeoxyglucose 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 radioactive isotope
fluorine-18 substituted for the normal hydroxyl group at the 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.[1] The subsequent discovery 1980 that 18F-FDG accumulates in tumors underpins the evolution of PET as a major clinical tool in cancer diagnosis.[2] 18F-FDG is now the standard radiotracer used for PET neuroimaging and cancer patient management.[3] The images can be assessed by a nuclear medicine physician or radiologist to provide diagnoses of various medical conditions.

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