{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,8]],"date-time":"2026-04-08T13:12:07Z","timestamp":1775653927499,"version":"3.50.1"},"reference-count":21,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"2","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,8]],"date-time":"2026-04-08T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1775606400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Infectious Disease Reports"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Introduction: The majority of progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) cases is still represented by patients affected by acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). Diagnosis of PML relies on histopathological findings or by the combination of clinical signs, radiological evidence, and molecular positivity of the JC virus in cerebrospinal fluid. However, AIDS status predisposes to various diseases involving the brain, testing the diagnostic ability of the clinician. Case description: We describe a PML case in a patient with AIDS, in whom lumbar puncture was initially impossible for severe thrombocytopenia and magnetic resonance showed an hyperintense lesion and was unable to distinguish between PML and lymphoma. In this case, [18F]-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG)-PET imaging showing a hypometabolism of the lesion helped to initially orient toward PML, as diagnosis was later confirmed by lumbar puncture. We collected 21 cases in the literature in which [18F]-FDG-PET was helpful in cases of PML. Discussion and Conclusions: PET imaging is not considered a standard diagnostic tool for PML. However, in selected cases, it may provide valuable information to direct the diagnosis towards PML.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/idr18020033","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,8]],"date-time":"2026-04-08T11:41:18Z","timestamp":1775648478000},"page":"33","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Progressive Multifocal Leukoencephalopathy in AIDS: The Diagnostic Role of PET Imaging"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"18","author":[{"given":"Virginia","family":"Donini","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, 50134 Florence, Italy"},{"name":"Infectious and Tropical Diseases Unit, Careggi University Hospital, 50134 Florence, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-8767-2640","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Riccardo","family":"Paggi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Infectious and Tropical Diseases Unit, Careggi University Hospital, 50134 Florence, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Alberto","family":"Farese","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Infectious and Tropical Diseases Unit, Careggi University Hospital, 50134 Florence, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0009-9797-9529","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Costanza","family":"Malcontenti","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Infectious and Tropical Diseases Unit, Careggi University Hospital, 50134 Florence, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Enrico","family":"Tagliaferri","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Infectious Diseases Unit, Livorno Hospital, 57124 Livorno, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-0266-4436","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Claudio","family":"Caroselli","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Infectious Diseases Unit, Livorno Hospital, 57124 Livorno, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Spartaco","family":"Sani","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Infectious Diseases Unit, Livorno Hospital, 57124 Livorno, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Maria","family":"Matteini","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Nuclear Medicine Unit, Careggi University Hospital, 50134 Florence, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-9758-1523","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Alessandro","family":"Bartoloni","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, 50134 Florence, Italy"},{"name":"Infectious and Tropical Diseases Unit, Careggi University Hospital, 50134 Florence, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-0892-8404","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Lorenzo","family":"Zammarchi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, 50134 Florence, Italy"},{"name":"Infectious and Tropical Diseases Unit, Careggi University Hospital, 50134 Florence, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,8]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"37","DOI":"10.1038\/s41582-020-00427-y","article-title":"Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy and the spectrum of JC virus-related disease","volume":"17","author":"Cortese","year":"2021","journal-title":"Nat. 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