title: [F-18 FDG positron emission tomography in diagnosis and follow-up of patients with musculoskeletal tumors].
abstract: The purpose of this study was to assess the value of F-18 FDG whole body positron emission tomography in the primary and follow-up diagnosis of musculoskeletal tumors. Between May 1994 and January 2000, 79 patients [36 females, 43 males; mean age: 44 years (9-78)] suffering from different musculoskeletal tumors were additionally examined with PET. In total, 100 whole body PET examinations (48 for primary staging, 52 for follow-up) were performed using a PET scanner [ECAT EXACT 47 (921)] with an axial field of view of 16.2 cm. The tracer was 370 MBq F-18 FDG. The results were compared to those achieved with conventional diagnostic tools such as CT, MRT, bone scan, and histology. In the primary staging, PET exhibited a sensitivity of 100% and a specificity of 50% (two false-positive results). In examinations for follow-up purposes, we found a sensitivity of 88.9% and a specificity of 92.0%. In the diagnosis of skeletal and extraskeletal metastases (100 PET inspections), the sensitivity was 87.5% and the specificity 89.7%. Besides this, PET was compared with standard diagnostic tools used in the follow-up procedures of those patients who had received chemo- and/or radiotherapy. In addition, the procedure was used to search for the unknown primary tumors in cases of secondary metastases in the skeleton and compared as well.PET with F-18 FDG as tracer has become an important additional method in the diagnosis of musculoskeletal tumors. It can be used for primary staging, search for metastases, and post therapeutic control. Negative results were seen when PET was used to search for metastases when the tumor was smaller than 5 mm, in cases of inflammatory diseases, and the differentiation of low-grade malignant tumors from benign lesions.
authors.affiliation: Orthopädische Klinik und Poliklinik, Universitätsklinikum Hamburg-Eppendorf, Germany.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Dobrowolskij
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Niggemeyer
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Jenicke
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bruns
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001859:Bone Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000532:radiotherapy / Q000601:surgery; D017024:Chemotherapy, Adjuvant; D002648:Child; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D005260:Female; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D018714:Radiotherapy, Adjuvant; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012983:Soft Tissue Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000532:radiotherapy / Q000601:surgery; D014055:Tomography, Emission-Computed
chemical_list: D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18