title: Indeterminate adrenal mass in patients with cancer: evaluation at PET with 2-[F-18]-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the ability of positron emission tomography (PET) to characterize adrenal masses in patients with cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-four adrenal masses (size range, 1.5-10.0 cm [mean, 2.8 cm]) in 20 patients (13 men and seven women) with cancer (lung [n = 10], colon [n = 3], lymphoma [n = 3], miscellaneous [n = 4]) were evaluated. PET was performed in fasting patients 45 minutes after infusion of 5-10 mCi (185-370 MBq) of 2-[fluorine-18]-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose (FDG). PET images were correlated with findings at computed tomography (CT), surgery, and/or percutaneous biopsy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Fourteen adrenal masses were proved malignant at surgery (n = 4), biopsy (n = 7), or follow-up (n = 3). Ten lesions were proved benign at biopsy (n = 4) or follow-up CT (n = 6). PET helped correct differentiation of benign from malignant adrenal lesions in all patients. A statistically significant difference (P < .001) was seen between mean tumor-to-background ratios for malignant (mean, 7.4; range, 2.9-16.6; median, 6.9) versus benign (mean, 0.8; range, 0.2-1.2; median, 0.6) adrenal lesions.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  PET helped correct differentiation of benign from malignant adrenal lesions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston 02114.
authors.forename: G W
authors.initials: GW
authors.lastname: Boland
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Goldberg
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: W W
authors.initials: WW
authors.lastname: Mayo-Smith
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Dixon
authors.forename: M M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: McNicholas
authors.forename: P R
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Mueller
mesh_terms: D000307:Adrenal Gland Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D000310:Adrenal Gland Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D000368:Aged; D003847:Deoxyglucose / Q000031:analogs & derivatives*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D005462:Fluorine Radioisotopes; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000150:complications*; D014055:Tomography, Emission-Computed
chemical_list: D005462:Fluorine Radioisotopes; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; D003847:Deoxyglucose