How New Scans Are Revolutionizing Rare Disease Detection

There's an unusual disorder known as Relapsing Polychondritis (RP), where a person's immune system goes awry and attacks their own cartilage. A woman suffered from this, her persistent cough turning out to be part of this disorder. Doctors initially used steroids to help manage her condition, but they needed a reliable way to keep track of her progress. They explored two different types of PET/CT scans. The first, the FDG PET/CT, wasn't very revealing. However, the FAPI PET/CT scan painted a clearer picture by showing more inflammation. This could transform how doctors monitor RP, providing them with a better tool to care for patients. RP isn't the only condition that might benefit from this new scan technology. Many tricky diseases could use updated methods for detection and monitoring.