Positron Emission Tomography Enables Accurate Targeting and Documents Sustained Efficacy for Low Dose Radiotherapy in Plantar Fasciitis: A Case Study

Plantar Fasciitis (PF) is a degenerative condition of the plantar fascia and is considered the leading cause of foot pain among adults aged ≥ 50 years in Australia. A 53-year-old male with a one-year history of PF was treated with low dose radiotherapy (LDRT) incidentally detected on a diagnostic staging 18F-Fluorodeoxyglucose Positron Emission Tomography/Computed Tomography (PET/CT) done for other reasons. Symptom control and return to running continues at six months. A further PET/CT scan, done for other reasons, showed resolution of PF Standardized Uptake Value (SUV) from 4.1 to 2.6. This paper includes a literature search of LDRT in PF and describes our department's technique of planning and treating PF with LDRT using megavoltage photons. To our knowledge this is the first published evidence of the resolution of plantar fasciitis on PET/CT following LDRT.