Physiological 2-deoxy-2-[fluorine-18] fluoro-D-glucose accumulation in the thenar eminence in adults: a single-center retrospective study.

This study evaluated the frequency, and effect of physiological 2-deoxy-2-[fluorine-18] fluoro-D-glucose (FDG) tracer injection and its association with the penetration rates of mobile devices. This retrospective analysis included 213 patients (mean age ± standard deviation, 66.2 ± 14.1 years; range 23–93 years; 125 men) who underwent FDG-positron emission tomography examination. Elevated FDG activity in the thenar eminence with maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax) ≥ 2.5 was considered positive. Differences according to age, sex, laterality, and tracer injection side were evaluated using Fisher’s exact test. Associations were assessed using Pearson’s correlation coefficient. Twenty-three percent (49/213) of the patients had elevated FDG activity in the thenar eminence (mean SUVmax, 3.50 ± 1.04; range 2.5–6.3), including 18 with bilateral findings. No significant difference existed according to age (< 50 years vs. 50–69 years vs. ≥ 70 years), sex, laterality, or tracer injection side. No significant correlation existed between penetration rates of mobile devices and the findings (p = 0.08). Elevated FDG activity in the thenar eminence occurs in adults, regardless of age, sex, laterality, or tracer injection side. This should be considered a common physiological change that does not warrant any further investigation.