18F-fluoro-deoxy-glucose positron emission tomography (18F-FDG-PET) visualizes follicular lymphoma irrespective of grading.
BACKGROUND
18F-fluoro-deoxy-glucose positron emission tomography (18F-FDG-PET) has become a routine measure for staging and follow-up of patients with aggressive lymphoma. By contrast, its usefulness to visualize indolent lymphomas characterized by a lower cellular turnover has not clearly been defined. We have investigated accuracy and clinical usefulness of 18F-FDG-PET in patients with follicular lymphoma (FL).


METHODS
A total of 64 patients with FL WHO grade I - III (48, 5, and 11 patients) were imaged at our institution to assess the value of 18F-FDG-PET for imaging of FL of different gradings. A total of 115 scans (48 before therapy and 67 for response assessment after treatment) were performed, and findings were compared to conventional staging including CT-scan of thorax and abdomen, sonography of lymph nodes and bone marrow biopsy.


RESULTS
Overall, 18F-FDG-PET had a sensitivity of 98%, a specificity of 94%, a positive predictive value of 95% and a negative predictive value of 98%. These results were significantly more accurate (P = 0.023) than the conventional radiology studies. There was no significant difference (P = 0.093) in the accuracy between patients with indolent (WHO grade I and II) versus aggressive FL (WHO grade III).


CONCLUSIONS
18F-FDG-PET scan is a reliable method for staging and follow up of patients with nodal FL irrespective of tumor grading.
Department of Internal Medicine I, Nuclear Medicine and Radiology, Medical University Vienna, Austria.
S
S
Wöhrer
U
U
Jaeger
K
K
Kletter
A
A
Becherer
A
A
Hauswirth
K
K
Turetschek
M
M
Raderer
M
M
Hoffmann
D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; D006801:Humans; D016393:Lymphoma, B-Cell / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D008224:Lymphoma, Follicular / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D016403:Lymphoma, Large B-Cell, Diffuse / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D012189:Retrospective Studies
D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18