[Imaging of secondary pulmonary changes in central bronchial carcinomas by F-18-FDG PET].
OBJECTIVE
The presented study was performed in order to evaluate the potential interference of secondary pulmonary changes (dystelectasis, retention pneumonia) with bronchial carcinomas in F-18-FDG-PET.


METHODS
A retrospective analysis of F-18-FDG-findings in 33 patients with bronchial carcinoma (staging) was performed. Seven out of fourteen patients with central tumor localisation had secondary pulmonary changes (thorax-x-ray, CT), which were classified as dystelectasis or atelectasis in five cases and as retention pneumonia in two cases.


RESULTS
Whereas dystelectasis and atelectasis without clinical signs of infection showed only mild to moderate FDG-accumulation (SUV 1.0-2.5; mean: 1.74), an intense FDG-uptake in the two cases with retention pneumonia (SUV 8.4 and 5.5) was observed. Despite of the typical wedge-like shape of pneumonia, differentiation between bronchial carcinoma and pneumonia can be a problem.


CONCLUSIONS
We suggest, that an antibiotic treatment in patients with known retention pneumonia should be performed prior to the PET-scan in order to reduce the interference of inflammatory changes.
Briele
B
B
Institut für Radiologie des Klinikums Fulda. BerndBriele@t-online.de
Willkomm
P
P
Grünwald
F
F
Ruhlmann
J
J
Biersack
H J
HJ
D000368:Aged; D002283:Carcinoma, Bronchogenic / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; D006801:Humans; D008171:Lung Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000209:etiology; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D014055:Tomography, Emission-Computed; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18