Investigations of breast tumors with fluorine-18-fluorodeoxyglucose and SPECT.
METHODS
We designed a prospective study to investigate the feasibility of combined FDG-SPECT and whole-body acquisition in the diagnostic work-up of breast tumors applying visual analysis. We studied 50 patients with breast tumors of unknown histology.


RESULTS
All malignant diseases were accurately detected in tumors > 2.3 cm, while the smallest FDG-positive lesion was 1.4 cm. In a subgroup of these patients, quantitative evaluation (tumor-to-back-group ratios) was added, which improved the sensitivity. Lymph node metastases were accurately indicated in 9 of 13 patients, while the detection of distant metastases depended on the location and size. False-positive FDG scans were observed in inflamed tissue, in a rapidly growing phylloides tumor and in supposedly healthy breasts.


CONCLUSIONS
These results are comparable with prior investigations of other groups using PET. Therefore, FDG-SPECT and whole-body acquisition may be an adequate and less expensive technique to meet the increasing demand of FDG examinations.
Holle
L H
LH
Department of Nuclear Medicine, University Clinics of Saarland, Homburg/Saar, Germany.
Trampert
L
L
Lung-Kurt
S
S
Villena-Heinsen
C E
CE
Püschel
W
W
Schmidt
S
S
Oberhausen
E
E
D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D003847:Deoxyglucose / Q000031:analogs & derivatives*; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D005462:Fluorine Radioisotopes; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; D015902:Gamma Cameras; D006801:Humans; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008875:Middle Aged; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D015899:Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon
D005462:Fluorine Radioisotopes; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; D003847:Deoxyglucose