Fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography imaging versus sentinel node biopsy in the primary staging of melanoma patients.
BACKGROUND
Positron emission tomography (PET) imaging is superior to conventional techniques for the evaluation of patients with stage III and stage IV cutaneous melanoma. Several studies have highlighted the advantages of this noninvasive technique for the assessment of lymph node involvement.


OBJECTIVE
To compare PET imaging with sentinel node biopsy for primary staging of cutaneous melanoma and to discuss the technical limitations of PET scanning.


METHODS
Twenty-five consecutive patients with a histologic diagnosis of melanoma with a Breslow thickness equal or greater to 1 mm underwent a preoperative PET to assess lymph node involvement.


RESULTS
Sentinel node biopsy and PET showed a sensitivity of 100% and 22%, respectively, in the identification of lymph node metastases.


CONCLUSIONS
PET is not a sensitive technique for the primary staging of cutaneous melanoma.
Longo
M Isabel
MI
Servicio de Dermatología, Hospital Gregorio Marañón, Madrid, Spain. mlongo@partners.org
Lázaro
Pablo
P
Bueno
Celso
C
Carreras
José Luis
JL
Montz
Ricardo
R
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; D006801:Humans; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008545:Melanoma / Q000473:pathology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging / Q000379:methods; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D021701:Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D014055:Tomography, Emission-Computed
D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18