Fluorodeoxyglucose (18F) or fludeoxyglucose (18F) (INN), commonly abbreviated 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.
After 18F-FDG is injected into a patient, a PET scanner can form images of the distribution of FDG around the body. The images can be assessed by a nuclear medicine physician or radiologist to provide diagnoses of various medical conditions.
Read more about Fludeoxyglucose (18F): History, Synthesis, Mechanism of Action, Metabolic End-products, and Metabolic Rate, Distribution, Applications