Positron emission tomography for basal cell carcinoma of the head and neck.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the ability of fluorodeoxyglucose F 18 positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) to image basal cell carcinoma (BCC).


METHODS
Case series study.


METHODS
Mohs surgery practice in a tertiary university hospital.


METHODS
Six patients with BCC larger than 1.0 cm of the head and neck region were identified.


RESULTS
Patients were imaged using FDG-PET before surgery. In 3 patients, PET imaging correlated well with the size and extent of the soft tissue invasion. Histologically, all 3 tumors were of the nodular subtype. The remaining 3 patients failed to demonstrate identifiable tumor activity on PET. Two of these 3 tumors were of the infiltrative histologic subtype, and 1 was of the nodular subtype. Perineural spread was detected by tissue biopsy in 1 infiltrative tumor, but not by FDG-PET imaging.


CONCLUSIONS
In our study, FDG-PET imaging was able to image and identify BCC in the head and neck region in 3 of 6 patients. In some cases, anatomic accuracy and the extent of soft tissue invasion were observed. The histologic subtype of the BCC appears to affect the ability of FDG-PET detection, with the nodular histologic subtype more likely to test positive on PET. This is a preliminary study, and future investigation is needed to evaluate the role of PET imaging in the management of patients with BCC.
Fosko
Scott W
SW
Department of Dermatology, Saint Louis University Health Sciences Center, MO 63104, USA. foskosw@slucare1.sluh.edu
Hu
Weimin
W
Cook
Thomas F
TF
Lowe
Val J
VJ
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002280:Basal Cell Carcinoma / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D005260:Female; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D014055:Tomography, Emission-Computed
D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18