Clinical value of 2-deoxy-[18F]fluoro-D-glucose positron emission tomography in patients with cervical spondylotic myelopathy.

Cervical spondylotic myelopathy (CSM) is one of the most common spinal cord disorders in the elderly. It is usually diagnosed by MRI, but in a significant number of patients the clinical course of CSM does not correlate with the extent of the spinal cord compression. Recent studies have suggested that a distinct metabolic pattern of the cervical cord, as assessed by PET with 2-deoxy-[(18)F]fluoro-D-glucose ((18)F-FDG) may predict a patient's clinical outcome after decompressive surgery for cervical spine stenosis. The authors provide an overview of the recent literature regarding the value of PET with (18)F-FDG of the cervical cord in patients with CSM, paying attention to prognostic aspects and the potential role of inflammatory processes in the acute phase of the disease.