Ex-vivo 18F-sodium fluoride micro-PET-CT in sudden cardiac death.

Aim: Microcalcification is a key pathological feature of atherosclerotic plaque rupture at autospy. 18F-Sodium fluoride (18F-NaF) is a highly sensitive radiotracer that preferentially binds to microcalcification in the coronary vasculature. By combining post-mortem anatomical computed tomography with metabolic imaging using positron emission tomography (PET-CT), 18F-NaF uptake may identify culprit coronary plaque rupture in victims of sudden cardiac death. To validate this hypothesis, we performed ex-vivo imaging on coronary artery specimens from sudden death victims to identify coronary artery microcalcification using 18F-NaF microPET-CT.