title: Evaluation of F18-deoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) to assess the nature of neurogenic tumours.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Benign neurofibromas and malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumours (MPNST) commonly develop in patients with neurofibromatosis. Differentiation of benign from malignant tumours by conventional preoperative imaging is unreliable. FDG-PET is a non-invasive technique for biological tumour evaluation. The aim of this study was to assess the value of FDG-PET in patients with neurogenic tumours suspicious for MPNST.
  
  
  METHODS
  Benign and malignant neurogenic soft tissue tumours were prospectively evaluated by computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging. Three-dimensional qualitative and quantitative FDG-PET was performed. Standard uptake value (SUV) was analyzed with respect to histological diagnosis and follow-up data.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Twenty-five neurogenic soft tissue tumours were included. FDG-PET identified all primary (n=6) and recurrent MPNST (n=7). Benign lesions (n=12) did not demonstrate high FDG uptake. The SUV was significantly higher in MPNST (median 2.9; range 1.8-12.3), than in benign tumours (median 1.1; range 0.5-1.8) (p<0.001). At a cut-off value of 1.8 SUV measured 1 h post-injection FDG-PET distinguished between MPNST and benign neurogenic tumours with 100% sensitivity and 83% specificity.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  FDG-PET allows discrimination of benign from malignant neurogenic tumours. This should be particularly useful in patients with neurofibromatosis as FDG-PET may help to avoid multiple surgical procedures for benign tumours.
authors.affiliation: Section of Surgical Oncology, Department of Surgery, and Institute of Pathology, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Cardona
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Schwarzbach
authors.forename: Ulf
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Hinz
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dimitrakopoulou-Strauss
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Attigah
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Mechtersheimer section sign
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Lehnert
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018317:Nerve Sheath Neoplasms / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D009455:Neurofibroma / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000209:etiology; D009456:Neurofibromatosis 1 / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D011446:Prospective Studies; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D014055:Tomography, Emission-Computed / Q000379:methods*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
chemical_list: D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18