FDG/PET and spiral CT image fusion for medistinal lymph node assessment of non-small cell lung cancer patients.
BACKGROUND
To assess the potential usefulness of 18F-FDG/PET and spiral-CT images concurrent assessment and coregistration in staging mediastinal lymph node involvement in patients with non small cell lung cancer.


METHODS
28 patients waiting to undergo surgical treatment underwent spiral-CT and PET examinations on the same day. The results of the two studies were interpreted separately, together (CT&PET) and following their fusion in a single image (CT+PET). Results of spiral-CT, PET, CT&PET and CT+PET were assessed with respect to the histological diagnosis.


RESULTS
A correct assessment of mediastinal lymph nodes was achieved by spiral-CT in 21 of the 28 patients, in 22 of the 28 patients by PET, in 24 patients by CT&PET and in 25 patients by CT+PET.


CONCLUSIONS
CT+PET is more accurate than spiral-CT and PET alone in staging mediastinal lymph node involvement in lung cancer patients, with possible implications for their prognosis and therapy.
Magnani
P
P
Department of Nuclear Medicine, INB-CNR, Institute H.S. Raffaele, University of Milan, Milano, Italy.
Carretta
A
A
Rizzo
G
G
Fazio
F
F
Vanzulli
A
A
Lucignani
G
G
Zannini
P
P
Messa
C
C
Landoni
C
C
Gilardi
M C
MC
Del Maschio
A
A
D000368:Aged; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000175:diagnosis*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008482:Mediastinum; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D015588:Observer Variation; D011379:Prognosis; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014055:Tomography, Emission-Computed / Q000379:methods; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18