title: Fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography imaging versus sentinel node biopsy in the primary staging of melanoma patients.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Dermatología, Hospital Gregorio Marañón, Madrid, Spain. mlongo@partners.org
authors.forename: M Isabel
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Longo
authors.forename: Pablo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Lázaro
authors.forename: Celso
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bueno
authors.forename: José Luis
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Carreras
authors.forename: Ricardo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Montz
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18