Evaluating Alzheimer Disease With Flortaucipir and Florbetapir PET: A Clinical Case Series

Clin Nucl Med. 2021 Jul 1;46(7):605-608. doi: 10.1097/RLU.0000000000003493.

Abstract

Early, accurate diagnosis of Alzheimer disease (AD) is essential but remains challenging. Neuropathological hallmarks of AD are β-amyloid neuritic plaques and tau protein neurofibrillary tangles. 18F-Florbetapir is one of several available PET tracers for imaging cortical fibrillary β-amyloid plaques. 18F-Flortaucipir PET was recently approved for evaluating the distribution and density of aggregated neurofibrillary tangles. We present cases of mild cognitive impairment or suspected AD to depict the nuances of flortaucipir distribution and scan interpretation as well as how combined information from amyloid and tau PET may help with differential diagnosis and prognosis.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Alzheimer Disease / complications
  • Alzheimer Disease / diagnostic imaging*
  • Alzheimer Disease / metabolism
  • Aniline Compounds*
  • Biomarkers / metabolism
  • Carbolines*
  • Cognitive Dysfunction / complications
  • Ethylene Glycols*
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Positron-Emission Tomography*

Substances

  • Aniline Compounds
  • Biomarkers
  • Carbolines
  • Ethylene Glycols
  • florbetapir
  • 7-(6-fluoropyridin-3-yl)-5H-pyrido(4,3-b)indole