Imaging of adrenal tumors using FDG PET: comparison of benign and malignant lesions.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to differentiate benign from malignant adrenal tumors using positron emission tomography (PET) with 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) in patients with unilateral adrenal masses originally detected by CT or MR imaging.


CONCLUSIONS
PET imaging with FDG can metabolically characterize adrenal masses. Abnormally increased FDG uptake in adrenal malignancies allows one to differentiate these abnormalities from benign lesions. Whole-body PET can also reveal extraadrenal tumor sites in patients with malignant tumors, using a single imaging technique for accurate disease staging.
Maurea
S
S
Medicina Nucleare e Radiodiagnostica, Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Naples, Italy.
Mainolfi
C
C
Bazzicalupo
L
L
Panico
M R
MR
Imparato
C
C
Alfano
B
B
Ziviello
M
M
Salvatore
M
M
D000293:Adolescent; D000310:Adrenal Gland Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D014055:Tomography, Emission-Computed; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18